Musculoskeletal conditions and employment retention

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are among the most common long-term health problems in the UK and are associated with substantially lower employment rates. However, relatively little is known about how MSK conditions affect employment retention among individuals who are already in work. Existing evidence often relies on clinically diagnosed conditions recorded in administrative or medical datasets. While valuable, such data typically capture individuals receiving treatment and therefore may under-represent a broader population experiencing MSK conditions particularly those not seeking or receiving clinical care. In addition, such datasets often contain limited labour market information and typically involve relatively small or selective samples.

This paper examines the relationship between MSK conditions and employment retention using longitudinal microdata from the UK Annual Population Survey (APS) covering the period 2013–2023. The APS is the largest household survey in the UK and provides a nationally representative sample of working-age individuals. MSK conditions are identified using self-reported long-term health conditions relating to the arms or hands, legs or feet, and back or neck, allowing us to capture a broader population of individuals with MSK conditions than studies based solely on clinical diagnoses. Employment retention is measured over a one-year horizon using standard International Labour Organization definitions of employment.

Using multivariate regression models that control for detailed personal and job characteristics, we estimate the employment retention gap associated with MSK conditions and examine how this relationship varies across different types of MSK conditions, the presence of multiple health problems including combinations of MSK and mental health conditions, and worker and job characteristics. The paper provides new population-level evidence on employment retention among workers with MSK conditions and identifies the groups most at risk of leaving employment.

*Please note that this project has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation’s Oliver Bird Fund and Versus Arthritis, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the funders