Post by Oxford Brookes University

Research by Kathryn Badarin, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy, highlights that employment is no longer the guarantee of stability we once expected. She says that for too many people, a job is not a guarantee against poverty; instead, it can become a trap of financial instability that is taking its toll on public health. Across Europe, around 8% of the workforce now live near the poverty line, often finding themselves disqualified from the safety nets they desperately need, precisely because they are employed. Dr Badarin states: “A six-year study of 2.5 million Swedish workers has drawn a direct line between in-work poverty and a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and stress-related conditions. Further research is investigating if the damage is also biological, not just psychological. The suggestion is that chronic financial strain could force the body into a state of "allostatic load"—a persistent, damaging stress response. When there is no respite, the body sustains cumulative wear and tear, including high blood pressure, inflammation, and metabolic disruption, all of which could accelerate the risk of long-term, life-altering illnesses like heart disease.” “At the heart of this issue lies the concept of the ‘effort-reward imbalance’. There is a deep, psychological injustice in working hard day after day, only to fall short of covering basic needs. This sense of helplessness, combined with the physical burden of financial insecurity, is uniquely damaging. It disproportionately impacts the very people we rely on most: single parents, immigrants, and essential workers in nursing, childcare, and the hospitality sector. These individuals are vital to the fabric of our society, yet they are the most likely to shoulder the heaviest health consequences of in-work poverty.” Dr Badarin states the solution is to shift policy goals. Moving beyond simply increasing employment rates, she argues policy makers must focus on ensuring that every single job provides a decent, secure living. True financial security requires structural change, including: Affordable Childcare: An absolute necessity to support single parents and working families. Housing Reform: Implementing measures to reduce the rent burden, freeing up essential income. Wage Standards: Vigorously enforcing living wages in the sectors that rely on essential, low-paid staff. She states: “In-work poverty must be treated as the serious public health threat that it is. If we continue to ignore the precarious conditions of the essential workers who keep our society running, we are simply compounding a future, unsustainable burden on our healthcare systems.” (Based on Dr Kathryn Badarin’s study: The impact of in-work poverty on mental health: A cohort study of the Swedish population. The study is available here: https://bit.ly/4eRKVfw)

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