A1 Journal article (refereed)
Lost mind, lost job? Unequal effects of corporate downsizings on employees (2024)


Böckerman, P., Haapanen, M., & Johansson, E. (2024). Lost mind, lost job? Unequal effects of corporate downsizings on employees. German Journal of Human Resource Management, OnlineFirst. https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022241244988


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsBöckerman, Petri; Haapanen, Mika; Johansson, Edvard

Journal or seriesGerman Journal of Human Resource Management

ISSN2397-0022

eISSN2397-0030

Publication year2024

Publication date07/04/2024

VolumeOnlineFirst

PublisherSAGE Publications

Publication countryUnited Kingdom

Publication languageEnglish

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1177/23970022241244988

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessPartially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX)https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/94377


Abstract

We investigate whether employees with mental health disorders are likelier to be laid off during corporate downsizings. Our study uses nationwide administrative data from all private sector firms and their employees in Finland from 2001 to 2017 and focuses on firms with at least 20 employees that reduced their workforce by at least 20% over two consecutive years. We analyse whether the employees who were laid off had more diagnosed mental health disorders prior to downsizing compared than those who were not laid off. Controlling for employee characteristics, our baseline results show that a mental health disorder diagnosis in the 3 years before downsizing increases the likelihood of being laid off by about 6 percentage points. This highlights the increased vulnerability of employees with mental health disorders in mass layoff situations.


Keywordshealthmental well-beingmental healthunemployment

Free keywordscorporate downsizing; health; job displacement; mass layoff; mental health; unemployment

Fields of science:


Contributing organizations


Ministry reportingYes

VIRTA submission year2024

Preliminary JUFO rating1


Last updated on 2024-03-07 at 01:26