Table 2 Odds Ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the association between single transitions in employment status and persistence of unemployment and poor mental health

 Employed-employed

1.00 (Reference)

1.00 (Reference)

1.00 (Reference)

 Unemployed-employed

2.50 (1.96,3.18)*

2.08 (1.58,2.75)*

2.01 (1.52,2.66)*

 Employed-unemployed

3.10 (2.53,3.79)*

3.15 (2.51,3.95)*

3.08 (2.45,3.86)*

 Unemployed-unemployed

6.17 (5.55,6.84)*

5.04 (4.45,5.71)*

4.53 (4.00,5.15)*

 P-trend

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

 0 (=persistently employed)

1.00 (Reference)

1.00 (Reference)

1.00 (Reference)

 1

1.68 (1.30,2.17)*

1.42 (1.08,1.87)*

1.38 (1.05,1.81)*

 2

2.56 (1.85,3.56)*

2.38 (1.69,3.35)*

2.25 (1.60,3.17)*

 3

3.30 (2.23,4.90)*

2.83 (1.86,4.31)*

2.55 (1.67,3.89)*

 4

3.10 (1.87,5.13)*

2.41 (1.42,4.11)*

2.14 (1.26,3.65)*

 5 (=persistently unemployed)

8.40 (5.90,11.95)*

5.60 (3.83,8.17)*

4.68 (3.19,6.86)*

 P-trend

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001