Midlife Employment Instability Linked to Later Cognitive Deficits

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Stable employment in midlife is associated with better cognitive health in later life, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Erika T. Beidelman, from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, and colleagues used data from 2,418 participants in the Health and Retirement Study (1998 to 2014) to examine associations of workforce participation and job insecurity with later cognition.

The researchers found that among women, compared with secure employment, self-employment, early retirement, not being in the labor force, and secure-to-retirement trajectories were significantly associated with lower memory and executive function scores (β range = −0.13 to −0.32 standard deviation units). For men, inconsistent employment was associated with poorer performance across most cognitive domains versus secure employment. In women, employment instability and early retirement were associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment.

“Employment continuity across midlife may represent a modifiable factor associated with cognition decades later,” Beidelman said in a statement. “Policies supporting sustained labor force attachment, reducing involuntary job transitions, and expanding access to cognitively engaging employment throughout midlife may help promote healthier cognitive aging.”

Abstract/Full Text