Women's Employment Trajectory Impacted by Menopause

FRIDAY, Oct. 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Early natural menopause and surgical menopause are linked to women's employment trajectories, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Menopause.Darina Peycheva, Ph.D., from University College London, and colleagues examined the employment trajectories of women experiencing early and surgical menopause during a 10-year period. The analysis included 1,386 women participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging who had undergone natural menopause or premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy or hysterectomy.The researchers found that women with early menopause were less likely to have flexible working arrangements (part-time work or self-employment) during this sensitive period (relative risk ratio [RRR], 0.70; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.51 to 0.97) compared with those who underwent menopause at age 45 years or older. The likelihood of leaving the labor market versus working full-time was similar in women with early and later menopause (RRR, 0.95; 95 percent CI, 0.62 to 1.41). Surgical menopause was associated with an increased risk for labor market exit compared with natural menopause (RRR, 1.45; 95 percent CI, 1.01 to 2.32), particularly for women aged 45 years or older at the time of surgery (RRR, 1.50; 95 percent CI, 0.94 to 2.38). For women with either early or surgical menopause, there was a trend toward hormone therapy use helping to reduce the risk for labor market exit."This study found that early natural menopause and surgical menopause were linked with women's employment trajectories and further suggests that hormone therapy within the early postmenopause years may help women remain in the workforce," Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director for The Menopause Society, said in a statement. "These findings add to the accumulating evidence that menopause-related symptoms can adversely affect women in the workplace and that targeted interventions may minimize the negative effect on employment."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Women's Employment Trajectory Impacted by Menopause

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