Objectives Unemployment has been repeatedly associated with suicide; however, whether the association is causal remains unclear. Little is known about the relationship between part-time work and either attempted or completed suicide. The objective of this study was to compare the relationships of unemployment, part-time work, nonlaborforce participation, and full-time work with attempted suicide.
Methods This study utilized a database consisting of 27 446 potential laborforce participants that combines information on health care utilization in Manitoba, Canada, with detailed information from the 1986 census. Persons who attempted suicide after the census (N=144) were identified using established definitions based on hospital claims to identify serious attempts only.

Results Step-wise multiple logistic regression, which controlled for multiple confounding variables, revealed that unemployment [odds ratio (OR) 3.68, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.76-7.71, part-time work (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.07-3.71) and being out of the labor force (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.12-3.97)] were all associated with attempted suicide. A dose-response relationship was observed between weeks worked in 1985 and suicide attempts after the census.

Conclusions All three groups of those who were not working full-time had an elevated likelihood of attempted suicide after adjustment for potential confounding factors This finding suggests that working full-time is protective against suicide attempts. Suicide attempts related to lack of full-time work may be more preventable than other causes of attempted suicide and may be decreased by social policies that limit "under" and unemployment.

Key terms attempted suicide; Canada; epidemiology; full-time employment; laborforce participation; mental health; part-time work; underemployment; unemployment