1189 UNEMPLOYMENT AND HEALTH

SiR,-Dr Draper and his colleagues (Feb. 17,

p.

373),

sup-

Australian evidence from Mr Bunn (April 28, p. 923), have drawn attention to the health implications of macroeconomic policy and specifically the hazard to health presented by high levels of unemployment. Associations between changes in unemployment and heart-disease mortality, infant mortality, and all-cause mortality are mentioned. The problem is brought into sharper focus if one looks at the threat presented to a single community facing a swift and dramatic increase in unemployment. Corby in Northamptonshire is a new town heavily dependent (by official design) for male employment on a single industry, steel. Close to three-quarters of the workforce are manual workers, with a heavy over-representation of the unskilled. Opportunities for alternative employment in the surrounding area are few, and unemployment is currently near 9%. Since 1975 Corby’s unemployment has increased by 125%. The British Steel Corporation wants to close the steelworks, declaring over 5000 men redundant, and thereby raising the Corby unemployment-rate to an estimated 21% or more. There are fears concerning the future of tube-manufacturing plant, for subsequent closure of this would bring a further 6500 redundancies and well over 30%

ported by

unemployment. Corby already has substantial social and health problems, most notably an infant-mortality rate of over 20 per 1000 (the rate for the county as a whole is 12 per 1000.) The heart-disease mortality-rate is likewise disturbingly higher than that of the surrounding area. The health implications of a closure and massive redundancy are all too clear. B.S.C. is, unfortunately, unlikely to take into account the potentially disastrous impact on community health in arriving at their closure decision. The negotiation of severance payments and the provision of aid in the long-term difficult task of attracting alternative employment will be the extent of their self-perceived responsibility. It is reasonable to ask doctors (and not merely specialists in community medicine) what role they believe they should take m the health circumstances inevitably attendant upon such closure. Faculty of Economics and Politics, University of Cambridge,

R. G.

Cambridge CB3 9DD

JOBLING

SIR,-Your editorial on the effects of unemployment on (March 31, p. 708) concluded that the reasons for the possible increase in mortality as unemployment rises were health

largely

unknown. We have found that

impending unemploy-

may increase blood-pressure, at least temporarily. One of us (T.R.) has measured the blood-pressure of all employees of a small firm in Oslo, as part of an annual general health check. In 1978 the mean blood-systolic pressure was significantly higher than it had been the year before (see figure). In 1979 the blood-pressure level had returned to the 1977 level. The measurements were done by a strictly standardised technique’ under similar conditions at the same time of the ment

a period of two weeks in all three years. Later it was revealed that, a short time before the 1978 health check, the men had been informed that the firm had severe economic problems and that unemployment was threatened for an unknown number of the employees. At the examination in 1979, however, the economic crisis was over and working conditions had returned to normal. The stress imposed by the threat of unemployment had thus caused an increase in blood-pressure in this firm’s male workers. No change in blood-pressure was detected in eight female employees of similar age during the three examinations.

day, and all examinations took place during

1. Rose, G. A., Blackburn, H. Cardiovascular Survey Methods: W.H.O. Monogr. Ser. 1968, no. 56.

Blood-pressure (mean aged 23-49.

Systolic pressure in (P

Social inequalities in child health.

1189 UNEMPLOYMENT AND HEALTH SiR,-Dr Draper and his colleagues (Feb. 17, p. 373), sup- Australian evidence from Mr Bunn (April 28, p. 923), have...
291KB Sizes 0 Downloads 0 Views