Which is worse for your long-term health, a white-collar or a blue-collar job?

Studies examining whether there are different probabilities of developing chronic disease or declining physical ability between different occupations are scarce. Using a discrete time-duration model, I examine whether the duration of good health differs between longest-held occupations. Utilizing micro data for elderly Japanese males and their longest-held occupations, I show that the physical abilities of male blue-collar workers decline more rapidly with age, especially after 55 years of age, compared to those in other occupations. By contrast, the probabilities of being diabetic among male white-collar workers increase more rapidly with age than they do for male blue-collar workers. These findings suggest that there are differential effects between blue- and white-collar jobs with regard to the decline in health over time among Japanese men.