Hearing loss impacts employment and income among young adults

Hearing loss is the most common form of sensory disability. Approximately 1.6 billion people around the world currently live with from some degree of hearing loss, and the WHO has forecast that this number will rise to 2.5 billion by 2050. People with hearing loss tend to experience more stress and anxiety at school or work, and as a result take more days off sick. The annual global cost of unaddressed hearing loss may run to $1 trillion.

Now, a long-term observational study has found that young adults with hearing difficulties in the US have less educational attainment, are less likely to be employed, and tend to earn less, compared to their peers with excellent to fair hearing. These results are published in Frontiers in Otology.

We found that these detrimental effects are especially pronounced among Black and Hispanic individuals, who face additional barriers to employment and income. Our findings highlight how hearing health can shape early career outcomes and long-term financial stability."

Dr. Molly Jacobs, associate professor, University of Florida Gainesville, and study's first author

Lending an ear to adolescents

The researchers mined the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (ADD Health) dataset, a longitudinal study following a representative cohort of young Americans, who were enrolled in grades K7 through K12 at any of 26,666 high schools across the US in the 1994-1995 year. Jacobs et al. analyzed responses to the fourth and fifth 'wave' of interviews within ADD Health, when 15,701 participants were between 24 and 32 years old, and when 11,955 participants were between 33 and 43 years old, respectively.

Among other questions, participants were asked to rate the quality of their hearing without hearing aids, and whether they had been bothered by ringing, roaring, or buzzing in their ears or head (so-called tinnitus) over the past year.

The researchers focused on the impact of having 'poor' hearing or worse, and of currently suffering from tinnitus, on a participant's chances of being employed. They also looked at the impact on income. Their various statistical models compensated for a suite of likely confounders such as race or ethnicity, education level, or general health on both outcomes.

In wave IV, 0.8% of participants reporting suffering only from hearing loss only, 5.8% only from tinnitus, and 0.5% from both conditions. In wave V, these percentages were 1.4%, 8.8%, and 1.4%, respectively. The results also showed that educational attainment was lower for people with hearing loss and/or tinnitus, and that a lower percentage of people with these conditions reported having overall good health. As has been shown in earlier studies, Black and Hispanic people were less likely to report having hearing problems than their White counterparts.

Strong impact of hearing loss

Compared to their fully hearing people, participants with hearing loss had overall 12% lower odds of being in paid employment. But the negative impact of hearing loss was especially strong for Black and Hispanic participants, who had respectively 98% and 99% lower odds of being in paid employment than their hearing peers. Participants with either hearing loss only, or both hearing loss and tinnitus, had a significantly lower probability (33% and 19%, receptively) of being in a higher income category than their peers.

Surprisingly, having tinnitus was not found to have an impact on educational attainment, the probability of being in paid employment, and income.

The researchers concluded that hearing loss is associated with lower chances of employment and employment advancement in the US, particularly among young Black and Hispanic individuals.

A possible mechanism for these effects immediately came to mind for the researchers.

"Hearing problems may make it harder for people to communicate effectively at work, which can limit job opportunities and career growth," said Dr Charles Ellis Jr, a professor and department chair at the same university, and the corresponding author.

"These challenges can lead to lower wages, fewer promotions, and even unemployment, especially in jobs that rely heavily on listening and speaking. Over time, this can widen income gaps and reduce financial security."

But what can be done to negate the negative impact of hearing loss? Modern hearing aids are much smaller and more powerful than in the past, although these are not affordable for everyone.

"To reduce the impact of hearing loss on employment, we need better access to hearing care, early screening, and workplace support like assistive technologies or flexible communication options," said Jacobs.

"Encouraging open conversations about hearing health and reducing stigma can also stimulate individuals to seek the help they need. This can improve job prospects and help close income gaps for those affected."