Objective To study the employment and financial characteristics among asthmatics.

Methods This study was based on the data from the prospective French national representative SIP (Santé et Itinéraire Professionnel) survey. In 2006, 13 648 individuals aged between 20 to 74 years living in metropolitan France were interviewed. In 2010, 11 221 of those who had participated in 2006 accepted to be re-interviewed. The 2006 questionnaire collected occupational and medical histories. Asthma cases were identified by the statement of the subjects at different moments of their medical and occupational histories. The 2010 questionnaire collected the duration of unemployment and that of sickness absences between 2006 and 2010 and the annual income in 2010. The analyses considered the individuals who had completed occupational history. Asthmatic subjects identified in 2006 were compared to the subjects without asthma for employment and financial outcomes between 2006 and 2010.

Results A total of 426 asthmatic subjects were identified in 2006. Due to lost to follow-up, analyses were conducted with 362 asthmatics (138 men and 224 women) and 10 858 non asthmatics. Between 2006 and 2010, the female asthmatics experienced more frequently a period of unemployment and that of sickness absences compared to non asthmatics. They presented lower annual income in 2010. Among males, no significant association was observed.

Conclusions These results suggest that asthmatic women experience rather negative work life events and lower income than non asthmatics. In contrast, no such results were observed in men. These results must be confirmed in future prospective cohort studies.