Long-Term Illness as an Occupational-Career Interruption: Gender Differences in the Determinants and Outcomes in Sweden

This paper examines one particular type of occupational-career interruption; long-term illness. Event history analysis is used to uncover gender differences in the factors that influence illness work absenteeism and regression for the consequences of this type of interruption in Sweden, a country with a generous welfare state and high level of gender equality. Analysis of a panel survey (HUS) attests to gender differences in both the determinants and the effects of illness interruptions. For example, having a child in the household and the absence of a spouse or cohabiting partner significantly raise men's likelihood of experiencing an illness interruption, but is non-significant for women. With regards to the consequences of an illness interruption, women suffer significant losses in wages, while men experience no significant effect. For women, working full-time and working in a blue-collar job influence wages at a significant level. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of such findings and ends with policy implications.