Hearing Loss's Incidence and Impact on Employment in the United States

Objective: To determine the incidence of hearing loss (HL) as well as differences in wages and labor force participation rates between individuals with and without HL. Study Design: Retrospective ecological study. Patients: 1% of the US population including individuals with and without HL from the public use micro data sample (PUMS) of the 2011 to 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) was analyzed. Main Outcome Measure: ACS census data on individual age, self-reported hearing loss, labor force participation, and monetary earnings between 2011 and 2016. Results: HL incidence rates were 13.4, 0.4, 3.8, 18.1, and 117.1 per 10,000 people among 0 to 2, 3 to 17, 18 to 44, 45 to 64, and 65thorn years old, respectively. HL 18 to 44, 45 to 64, and 65thorn years old participated in the labor force at 86, 81, and 61% of the rate of hearing individuals. HL 18 to 44, 45 to 64, and 65thorn years old earned 78, 73, and 72% of the wages earned by non-HL individuals. Conclusions: Calculated HL incidence and labor force participation rates were higher than previously published in literature analyzing 1991 census data. The changes may be due to the methodology used in this study but may also reflect improvements in diagnosis, access to technology, and the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.