Age and country/regional effects
The age modification observed could reflect unemployment
being more stressful for older job seekers , for instance due to
outdated skills, or real or perceived job discrimination.
Alternatively, it could reflect accumulation of exposure over the
life course. There is substantial evidence that unemployment
spells cluster longitudinally within individuals, due to loss of
skills or impact on perceived employability.There is also
evidence that effects of unemployment on inflammation are
lasting and could act additively over time.Hence, late-career
unemployment may be acting as a marker for longer term
unemployment and/or more past unemployment, with plausibly
greater effects on inflammation.