The influence of post-socialist transition hardship in adulthood on subsequent work trajectories: findings from 11 Central and Eastern European countries.

The transition from socialism to a market economy in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) brought significant societal and economic disruptions. While the shift restructured economies and integrated the region into the broader European market, it left a legacy of hardship that continues to shape individuals' lives. This study adopts a life-course perspective to examine how extended employment gaps, financial hardship and significant stress during the transition years (1987-93) have influenced work trajectories over a 31-year period in 11 CEE countries. Using retrospective data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (N = 10,999), we apply sequence analysis and multinomial logistic regression to assess these associations. Among men, both an extended employment gap and financial hardship during the transition increased the risk of later unemployment, while significant stress increased the risk of health-related labour market withdrawal. Among women, fewer significant effects were observed, with the most notable being a heightened risk of unemployment following an extended employment gap. These findings offer new insights into the long-term consequences of the post-socialist transition and, more broadly, into how economic crises and social upheaval can shape working lives. This emphasizes the critical role of a life-course perspective in shaping policies that aim to mitigate long-term unemployment risks and ensure more equitable pathways to labour market exit.