For example, people with diabetes work fewer hours on average (Pelkowski et al., Women aged 50 to 59 years old who suffer from two or more chronic diseases, however, are one-third less likely to be in employment than those with none, while men with two or more chronic diseases are only a quarter less likely to be in work than men with none (OECD/EC, 2016). Work can affect health, although the empirical evidence to that effect is mixed.