The aim of this thesis is to explore several aspects of occupation-based inequality in post-Soviet Russia that have previously been given little attention in the literature. The data sources for statistical analysis are the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) and the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Various statistical techniques have been used, such as regression models with random and fixed effects, nonparametric and semiparametric regression models, survival models and log-multiplicative models for contingency tables. First, the thesis looks at the validity of the application of the European Socio-Economic Classiffcation (ESeC) in Russia. The results show that ESeC classes in Russia are different in respect to several aspects of their employment contract, such as the probability of informal employment, the index of fringe benefits and unemployment risks. This confirms the validity of the ESeC for Russia. Second, the association between earnings and age is analyzed. The shape of cross-sectional age-earnings profiles in Russia is different from the shape in Western countries, especially for men. There is little variation in earnings across age groups, and younger men have higher average earnings than older men. The thesis suggests and discusses several explanations for this, such as age segregation in the labour market and the effect of class structure. Third, the thesis explores the class gap in mortality. Non-manual classes have lower mortality risks than manual classes, both for men and women. The size of the class gap in mortality in Russia is larger than in Western European countries. Fourth, the thesis constructs an occupational status scale and analyzes its properties. The scale is based on the information about intermarriages between occupational groups. The Russian scale is similar to the scales previously constructed for European countries and the USA. Overall, the thesis demonstrates similarity in the patterns of occupation-based inequality in Russia and in Western industrial countries. It also discusses some technical aspects of class analysis and suggests a more clear separation between the descriptive and causal logic within it.

Previous research has shown a social gradient in health that suggests that better health is found for people in more advantaged positions in society. This research has mainly been focused on the relationship between social position in childhood and health or current position and health. However, little is known about the impact of positions held in between these two time-points. In this paper a potentially lasting health effect of occupational class positions is explored. The study starts with a description of the work-life biographies for people in different current class positions. Then goes on to investigate if the effect of current class is modified when including previous positions during adulthood, as well as how much extra information is gained by utilizing information on individual work histories. An association between accumulated experience of manual working class and self-rated health is found. Also, when controlling for accumulated class experience, the social gradient for current class is no longer significant. Furthermore, even for non-manual employees the odds of reporting less than good self-rated health is increasing with each added year of previous manual experience. This suggests that the social gradient in health is more complex than just a matter of current social position influencing current health, and that the effects would potentially be modified if the full complexity of life-time social positions were taken into account.

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The work environment constitutes a key social determinant of health, yet previous research is relatively limited vis-à-vis the contribution of both physical and psychosocial work-related stressors on occupational class differences in health among Swedish employees. This study used cross-sectional data from the Swedish Level of Living Survey 2010 to assess the mediating effect of physical and psychosocial work-related stressors to occupational class differences in physical and mental ill health in Sweden. Disparities between gender were also considered. A sub-sample of 2,624 full- and part-time employed individuals aged 18-65 was analysed using logistic regression. Employees who belonged to higher occupational classes had a lower risk of physical ill health compared to employees from lower occupational classes when age, gender and part-time work is accounted for – but there was no evidence of an occupational class gradient in mental ill health. Similar results were observed among men and women. In line with previous research, differential exposure to physical work-related stressors explained most of the occupational class gradient in physical ill health, yet certain psychosocial work-related stressors were also influential. Future research should further examine what other work-related factors – or social determinants of health – can help explain the association between occupational class and mental health.