How Years of Low Income Can Affect Your Memory in Later Life

According to a research study by Columbia University, earning low wages could affect your memory later in life. The study, which was based solely on wages and not the type of work, found that people in the US who earned low wages over a number of years were more likely to experience faster memory decline.

Using records from the National Health and Retirement Study, researchers analysed data from 2,879 people who were born between 1936 and 1941. They looked at what these people earned between 1992 and 2004, and using this information, they put the people into three groups based on their earnings during this period of time: those who had always earned low wages, those who had sometimes earned low wages, and those who had never earned low wages.

Low wages in the study were defined as an hourly rate that was lower than two-thirds of the US’ median wage for that year. Therefore, if the median wage was $10 per hour, their earnings would be less than $6.67 per hour. The results were quite startling.

It was found that over the twelve years after 2004 up to 2016 when these people would have been 63 and older, those in the low-wage group experienced significantly faster aging of the mind. Over a ten-year period, the minds of long-term low earners aged about a year faster than those who never earned low wages. Katrina Kezios, co-author of the study said that the research indicates that “sustained exposure to low wages during peak earning years is associated with accelerated memory decline later in life”.

The minimum hourly wage in the US has been $7.25 since 2009 whereas economic growth has increased. This means that wages have not kept up with inflation, particularly for those in low wage jobs. However, some states do offer a higher minimum hourly wage. These include Florida, where the minimum wage is $10 per hour, California, where it is $14, and Washington DC, where the minimum hourly rate is $16.10.

The research was shared in a presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in August 2022. Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri, senior author of the study, said that “Our findings suggest that social policies that enhance the financial well-being of low-wage workers may be especially beneficial for cognitive health”.