The impact of cancer on spouses' labor earnings

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Cancer affects patients' incomes, but to the authors' knowledge few studies to date have examined how the income of the patients' spouses may be influenced. In this population‐based study from Norway, the effects of cancer on both partners' earnings are analyzed.METHODS:The difference between labor earnings the year before the cancer diagnosis and that 2, 5, or 8 years later was compared with the difference in earnings over a corresponding period for similar persons without cancer, applying linear regression models to national registry data. Approximately 1.1 million married persons ages 35 to 59 years were included, among them 17,250 persons diagnosed with cancer during 1991 through 1999.RESULTS:Two and 5 years after a cancer diagnosis, married men experienced lower earnings than they would have absent the illness. Cancer in wives, however, did not affect men's earnings. Women's earnings were adversely influenced to the same extent by their own as by their spouses' cancer. Brain, lung, and colorectal cancer in male spouses produced the most adverse effects on women's earnings. All effects were most pronounced for women no longer married.CONCLUSIONS:Women's earnings are lower after both their own and their spouses' cancer illness, and divorced and widowed women experience the most pronounced reduction after spousal cancer. Men's earnings are lower only if they are diagnosed themselves. This may reflect traditional sex roles, with men as main breadwinners and women as caregivers. For family households, cancer in men may result in greater financial difficulties than cancer among women, although the effect will depend on breadwinner roles before diagnosis. Cancer 2009;115(18 suppl):4350–61. © 2009 American Cancer Society.

Do Spouses Coordinate Their Work Exits? A Combined Survey and Register Analysis From Norway

“…Perhaps surprisingly a partner's poor health as reported by the respondent did not influence his or her work exit probability. This is in line with conclusions from an earlier review by Weaver (1994), stating that a spouse's labor supply is little affected by their partner's health, but contrary to the findings from a Norwegian register study where cancer in husband significantly lowers the work efforts of the wife (Syse et al, 2009). It is also contrasted in part by findings from Dentinger and Clarkberg (2002), suggesting that wives with husbands with care needs have up to five times higher risks for work exits, whereas the risk remains virtually unchanged for husbands with wives with care needs.…”

“…This has also been observed in a recent time use study from Norway (Bråthen & Bakken, 2012). However, much previous research has focused solely on female spouses' labor supply (Pozzebon & Mitchell, 1989;Siegel, 2006;Weaver, 1994) or concluded that gender differences exist so that this effect is more pronounced for women with husbands who exit the workforce compared to the other way around (Pienta, 2003;Syse et al, 2009). Surprisingly, no gender differences were observed in the effect of one spouse's work exit on that of the other in our study.…”

“…Surprisingly, no gender differences were observed in the effect of one spouse's work exit on that of the other in our study. Further, joint work exits have been examined mostly in light of spouses' ill health (Coile, 2004;Hollenbeak, Short, & Moran, 2011;Syse et al, 2009) and also in light of changes in sickness absence patterns (Hesselius, 2009). Perhaps surprisingly a partner's poor health as reported by the respondent did not influence his or her work exit probability.…”

“…The health of one's spouse, possible caregiving burdens and the general quality of the marital relationship, has been shown to affect seniors' work engagement (Lima, Allen, Goldscheider, & Intrator, 2008;Maestas, 2001;Siegel, 2006;Syse, Tretli, & Kravdal, 2009;van Solinge & Henkens, 2008).…”

The financial burden of cancer care: do patients in the US know what to expect?

“…Loss of earnings following a cancer diagnosis can be seen in both patients and their spouses [13]. In a recent review of the impact of cancer on employment among survivors, Mehnert et al noted that only 40% of patients had returned to work 6 months after diagnosis and only two-thirds were working 5 years after diagnosis [14].…”