Books and Reports: The Challenging Roles of Informal Carers

The Challenging Roles of Informal Carers

Read the report here
There are different approaches to responding to the growing longterm care needs of ageing populations across the UNECE region. Societies rely to a varying extent on the unpaid labour of informal carers who cover an estimated 70 to 95 percent of all care needs. While informal unpaid care saves public spending on formal care services, the reliance on informal care has many hidden costs.

Societies rely to a varying extent on the unpaid labour of informal carers. If not adequately supported in their role, informal carers can face negative impacts on their health and well-being; intensive informal caregiving can also result in higher demand and costs for health care as a consequence of its negative impact on the physical and mental health of carers, reduced labour market participation and consequently higher risks of poverty and social exclusion.

Books and Reports: Ageing and Employment Policies: Working Better With Age

Ageing and Employment Policies: Working Better With Age

Read the report here
People today are living longer than ever before, but what is a boon for individuals can be challenging for societies. If nothing is done to change existing work and retirement patterns, the number of older inactive people who will need to be supported by each worker could rise by around 40% between 2018 and 2050 on average in the OECD area. This would put a brake on rising living standards as well as enormous pressure on younger generations who will be financing social protection systems. Improving employment prospects of older workers will be crucial.

This report by the OECD provides a synthesis of the main challenges faced by countries as workers live longer, as well as policy recommendationsand a set of international best practices to foster employability, labour demand and incentives to work at an older age.

Event: ISA RC28 Spring Meeting 2021 - Accumulation and Compensation of Inequalities

ISA RC28 Spring Meeting 2021 - Accumulation and Compensation of Inequalities

Wed Jun 2 - Fri Jun 4
The organisers aim to host the meeting using a hybrid model, where participation in both online and in person are possible. They will follow the instructions concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, and if needed, will organise the meeting online only.

The International Sociological Association’s next annual Spring Meeting will be held under the conference theme of 'Accumulation and compensation of inequalities' and paper or poster submissions that address this theme are especially encouraged.

Person: Zueras
Zueras
Pilar
Ageing and Life Expectancy
Health
Society and Solidarity
Person: Pearce
Pearce
Jamie
Ageing and Life Expectancy
Environment
Health
Society and Solidarity
Person: Hank
Hank
Karsten
Ageing and Life Expectancy
Family and Children
Health
Society and Solidarity
Working Life
Highly Educated and Living Alone

Highly Educated and Living Alone

Study compares the living situation of the working-age population in 12 European countries
A study by Glenn Sandström and Lena Karlsson used data from the Generations and Gender Survey to see if there is a connection between one’s educational level and whether one lives alone.

Glenn Sandström and Lena Karlsson used data from the Generations and Gender Survey and found that in countries considered more gender equal, those with a higher education are less likely to live alone. But in less gender equal countries, the opposite is true with higher educated people more likely to live alone.

Person: López Gay
López Gay
Antonio
Ageing and Life Expectancy
Family and Children
Migration and Integration
Projections and Forecasts
Society and Solidarity
Have Mortality Differences Between East and West Germany Been Overcome?

Have Mortality Differences Between East and West Germany Been Overcome?

Study on avoidable mortality differences between Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein
Due to the division of Germany during the Cold War, former East and West Germany have provided demographers with a ‘natural experiment’, especially when studying mortality. Research by Michael Mühlichen used this idea to carry out a study on how mortality rates have developed in two German states since reunification with specific focus on premature mortality.

Research by Michael Mühlichen studied how mortality rates have developed in two German states since reunification with specific focus on premature mortality. Using official population and cause-of death statistics for Germany, he found that premature mortality has decreased rapidly since reunification, especially in the east.

Birth Weight Matters for Both Short- and Long-Term Health Outcomes

Birth Weight Matters for Both Short- and Long-Term Health Outcomes

To date, a large number of researchers have documented associations between lower birth weight and a range of health problems later in life. However, for a substantial amount of existing studies, it is unclear whether these associations reflect causality. Aiming at providing causal evidence in this field of research, Jonas Helgertz (University of Minnesota and Lund University) and Anton Nilsson (Lund University) analysed full-population Swedish register data on siblings and twins born between 1973 and 1994, and followed until 2011.

Jonas Helgertz (University of Minnesota and Lund University) and Anton Nilsson (Lund University) analysed full-population Swedish register data on siblings and twins born between 1973 and 1994, and followed until 2011. This is one of the first studies to look at the effect of birth weight on sick days in adulthood.

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