Geographic variation in work disability burden: Identifying hotspots, coldspots, and associated sociodemographic factors

Abstract

Objectives To identify geographic hotspots and coldspots of work disability burden and their associated sociodemographic factors in Australia. Methods Using Australian workers' compensation and census data, we calculated weeks of compensated time off work per 1000 labor force, an indicator of work disability burden, at Statistical Area Level 4, the smallest level of labor force data produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Records included all claims with at least 1 day of compensated time off work lodged between 2010 and 2015. Work disability burden was z‐transformed by state and territory and mapped across Australia. Statistical Areas that were more than 1 standard deviation from the state or territory mean were considered hotspots and coldspots. We tested several sociodemographic factors as predictors of work disability burden. Results Work disability burden hotspots were concentrated in lower socioeconomic suburbs and exurbs of state capitals, in addition to several regional areas. Coldspots were primarily in wealthy central urban and suburban areas. Factors associated with greater work disability burden include higher area socioeconomic disadvantage, rurality, lower labor force participation, higher unemployment, higher proportion of work in production industries and in blue‐collar occupations, and higher numbers of those with core activity limitations, those aged 65+ years, and foreign‐born residents. Conclusions Work disability burden is unequally distributed across Australia and strongly influenced by sociodemographic and occupational factors. The findings can guide more efficient allocation of resources for work disability prevention and rehabilitation.

Do regional labor market conditions matter for temporary work disability duration? A multilevel analysis of workers' compensation claims in five Canadian provinces

“…14 An Australian study using multijurisdictional workers' compensation claims data aggregated to statistical area units, also found that increased area unemployment rates were associated with increased compensated disability burden. 15 Similarly, the proportion of industrial employment is positively associated with increased compensated disability burden. 15 A difference between this study and the aforementioned studies is that in this study both regional-level variables had nonlinear associations with work disability days.…”

“…15 Similarly, the proportion of industrial employment is positively associated with increased compensated disability burden. 15 A difference between this study and the aforementioned studies is that in this study both regional-level variables had nonlinear associations with work disability days.…”

“…The proportions of goods-producing and blue-collar employment were used to capture differences in industrial and occupational mix, similar to what has been used in other studies. 11,15,26 Associations between these variables and work disability days were examined using scaled functions (continuous, quadratic) and categorical measures (quintiles) to capture nonlinear effects.…”

“…The challenge of collinearity between regional-level variables is not unique to this study and has been identified elsewhere. 11,15 This study was only able to incorporate overall unemployment rates. Preferably, unemployment rates specific to different subgroups of workers (e.g., industry, occupation, age, and sex) would be used, along with a latency period between changes in the business activity.…”

“…This includes studies showing how higher levels of state-level unemployment and lower neighborhood-level household income were associated with increased length of work disability among privately insured workers in the United States, 6,14 and higher levels of area-level unemployment, among other characteristics (such as blue-collar occupations, production industry employment, socioeconomic disadvantage), associated with increased area-level work disability burden in Australia. 15 In countries with workers' compensation systems, work disability duration can vary by regional state, provincial or territorial jurisdictions.…”