title: Social inequalities in childhood are predictors of unemployment in early adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to establish if social inequalities in early childhood, particularly living in a socially and economically deprived neighbourhood, are predictive of later unemployment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort was established in 1987. It consists of 8-9 year-old children living in a socially deprived suburb who were followed in national registers for all categories of welfare benefits. The follow-up covered the period when participants were 21-27 years of age. A control group with the same age and gender distribution who were living in a neighbouring, relatively privileged middle class district were also followed for the purpose of comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual unemployment rate during the seven years of follow-up was significantly higher in the deprived neighbourhood group than in the middle class neighbourhood group, whereas long-term unemployment lasting more than two years did not differ significantly between the groups. Childhood background including a mother receiving social benefit was an independent factor associated with increased risk of later unemployment, whereas gender and single parenthood were not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings suggest that socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood substantially increases the risk of unemployment in early adulthood, even during a follow-up period in the first decade of the 21st century when employment opportunities in Denmark were excellent.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine, Herning Regional Hospital. flemming.lander@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Flemming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lander
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Jens Tølbøll
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Mortensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013997:Time Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult