Swedish research spotlights the fatal risks of unstable employment and urges a seismic shift in labour market conditions.

If you’re stuck in a dead-end job, new research suggests you might literally be on a shortcut to the afterlife.

A ground-breaking study led by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has discovered a chilling link between unstable employment and an elevated risk of early death.

Termed ‘precarious employment,’ these positions are characterised by short-term contracts, meagre wages, and limited benefits – essentially a cocktail for an unsettled professional life.

“The risk of early death is higher if one keeps working in jobs without a secure employment contract,” the paper’s lead author Theo Bodin said.

What sets the study apart is its focus on the advantages of stable work.

Researchers scrutinised data from over a quarter of a million Swedish workers aged 20 to 55, spanning from 2005 to 2017 and found that those who transitioned from unstable to secure jobs saw a 20% dip in the likelihood of premature death.

The figures strongly hint at the pivotal role job security plays in enhancing overall health and longevity.

Dr. Nuria Matilla-Santander, a co-author of the study, accentuated that tackling the volatility in the job market could significantly deter premature deaths.

“We can be relatively certain that the difference in mortality is due to the precariousness of employment rather than individual factors,” she noted.

The research team is now poised to further investigate the specific causes of death associated with precarious employment.

The Karolinska Institutet’s study serves as a crucial wake-up call, illuminating the public health ramifications of unsteady employment.

The findings underscore the immediate need for a substantial overhaul in employment security as a preventative measure against premature mortality.