BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Employment during and following treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is important for the individual's health and well-being and for reducing the societal costs associated with benefit payments. Nonetheless, this is an under-researched topic. This study aimed to identify trajectories of labour force participation among people enrolled in AUD treatment and describe the characteristics of those following contrasting pathways.

DESIGN: Using trajectory analysis, we modelled employment trajectory groups among AUD patients during the year of treatment entry and the 4 subsequent years, applying Norwegian longitudinal register data.

PARTICIPANTS: Patients in Norway who entered treatment with AUD as the primary diagnosis during 2009 and 2010 (9000 patients, age 20-61 years).

MEASUREMENTS: The outcome variable 'labour force attachment' was measured as being in full-time employment, partly employed, on temporary welfare benefits or on permanent disability pension. Predictors were age, gender, education and comorbid mental health and drug use disorders.

FINDINGS: We distinguished six employment trajectories among AUD patients: 15.8% were on permanent disability pension throughout, 8.7% exited the labour force on permanent disability pension during the observation period, 32.1% had a medium attachment throughout follow-up, and 9.2% had a decreasing attachment; 23.3% had a high labour force attachment throughout, and 10.9% experienced increasing attachment. High attachment throughout was negatively associated with being female (P < 0.001), having lower educational attainment (P < 0.001), and having comorbid mental health (P < 0.001) and drug use disorders (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Norwegian patients treated for alcohol use disorder in 2009 and 2010 followed six employment trajectories during the 5 years following treatment entry and had lower labour force participation than the general population. Nearly a quarter had a high labour force attachment throughout treatment, which was positively associated with being male, having higher educational attainment and having fewer comorbid mental health and drug use disorders.