Studies Show Contingent Workers at Higher Risk, NIOSH Researchers Report

U.S. and European studies suggest that contingent workers such as part-time, temporary, or contract workers are at higher risk for occupational injuries and illnesses than workers in traditional employment situations, NIOSH researchers report. Several possible reasons for the higher risk are suggested in the increasing scientific evidence, and warrant further scientific investigation, the researchers stated. The article, “Contingent Workers and Contingent Health: Risks of a Modern Economy,” by Kristin J. Cummings, M.D., M.P.H., and Kathleen Kreiss, M.D., was published in the January 30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The report is available on line at http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/299/4/448.

This item appeared in the February 2008 NIOSH eNews (Volume 5 Number 10). You can read the entire eNews issue or subscribe at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/enewsV5N10.html