Self-rated Health of the Temporary Employees in a Nordic Welfare State: Findings from the Finnish Public Sector Study

OBJECTIVE: This nine-year follow-up study explores a possible association between temporary employment and declining health. METHODS: Years in temporary employment from 2004 to 2008/09 were measured for a cohort of 26,886 public sector employees. Self-rated health was measured by surveys in 2004 (baseline), 2008/2009 (short-term follow-up) and 2012/2013 (long-term follow-up). RESULTS: Compared to the permanently employed, the baseline health adjusted odds of poor health were lower both in the short-term and long-term follow-up, but the differences became non-significant when adjusted for sociodemographic and work-related factors. CONCLUSIONS: The results would suggest that temporary employment in public sector of a Nordic welfare state does not entail health risks. Future research is needed to elucidate if this is true also among those exposed to non-permanent employment in the private labor market, in particular those with most atypical jobs and unstable job careers