scholarly journals Pathways to early retirement: structure and agency in decision-making among British civil servants

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 761-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAUL HIGGS ◽  
GILL MEIN ◽  
JANE FERRIE ◽  
MARTIN HYDE ◽  
JAMES NAZROO
Keyword(s):  
Older Workers ◽  
Early Retirement ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Ideal Types ◽  
Structure And Agency ◽  
The United Kingdom

The context of this paper is the changing nature of later life in the United Kingdom. It examines some of the broader issues of early retirement. While there has been considerable debate about the restructuring of employment during the latter part of the 20th century which led to a shake-out of older workers from the labour force, less attention has been given to those who take voluntary early retirement. Given the importance of early retirement to the economy and to social policy, it is important to find out how individuals make retirement decisions. The paper examines the results of a semi-structured interview study of the decisions made by a purposively drawn sample of British civil servants who are participants in the Whitehall II study. The sample included participants who chose early retirement and those who did not. From the interview data, ideal types of possible routes into retirement have been constructed. Illustrating these ideal types, individual life histories are drawn upon to show how responses to the issues surrounding retirement feature in people's lives. It is argued that decisions about early retirement are not made in a vacuum, neither are they free from pressures or inducements. Some are to do with organisational restructuring, some are about financial offers, and some are influenced by the opportunities for leisure and self-fulfilment that early retirement offers. The paper concludes by arguing that early retirement needs to be studied as a process involving the interplay between structure and agency.

scholarly journals The Influence of Household Pension Wealth, Partner’s Health and Spousal Employment Status on Heterogeneous Early Retirement Transitions among Women in England

2020 ◽  
pp. 095001702090635
Author(s):  
Jennifer Prattley ◽  
Tarani Chandola
Keyword(s):  
Early Retirement ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
Continued Employment ◽  
English Longitudinal Study ◽  
Pension Wealth

Continued employment in later life is important for economic well-being and health, and is a key policy issue. However, existing models of the determinants of extended working life do not provide a detailed account of coupled women’s early retirement patterns in the United Kingdom. This article uses data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to show that partnered women aged between 50 and 59 do not adjust the timing of their labour force exit according to the level of pension wealth the couple has accrued. A retired or inactive spouse, caring obligations and poor health accelerate employment exit. Moreover, the odds of an involuntary exit from the labour force, where women have limited control or choice over the timing, are higher for women in lower pension wealth households than those in high wealth families, and among women with inactive rather than retired partners.

scholarly journals Exclusion and Inequality in Late Working Life–On the Gendered Risks for Old-Age Exclusion in Sweden and Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 65-65
Author(s):  
Andreas Motel-Klingebiel ◽  
Jolanta Perek-Białas ◽  
Indre Genelyte ◽  
Susanne Kelfve
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Labour Force Participation ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Institutional Conditions ◽  
Economic Exclusion ◽  
The Uk

Abstract The labour market activity of older workers and their ability and disposition to maintain it depend on institutional conditions, age norms, labour demand and shifting overall economic conditions. The paper discusses exclusion and inequality in later working life from a European comparative perspective and emphasises shifts in late work and retirement patterns as well as later-life outcomes in Sweden and Poland. An emphasis is on changing institutional conditions on the national and branch level. Gendered risks for economic exclusion and later life precarity are stressed. Analyses for the two countries are contrasted with Germany and the UK. The analyses are part of the research program ‘Exclusion and Inequality in Late Working Life: Evidence for Policy Innovation Towards Inclusive Extended Work and Sustainable Working Conditions in Sweden and Europe – EIWO’ (2019-24). Analyses use data from SHARE and EU-SILC and address older workers of age 60 and older in Sweden, Poland, German and the UK. They find increasingly heterogeneous preretirement and transition patterns, new gender gaps and increasing risks of economic exclusion in retirement. Situations differ between countries with the prolongation of late working life in Sweden having a mostly positive effect on gender inequalities with low education and specific migrant groups as an exception. Poland is specific case due to unequally low retirement age for woman (60) and for men (65) with consequently large structural gender differences and increases in the process of increasing labour force participation of older workers and increasingly gendered risks for old-age economic exclusion.

The Puzzle of Retirement and Early Retirement

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Harper ◽  
Peter Laslett
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Early Retirement ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Healthy Life ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Pension Systems ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Changing Attitudes

This chapter focuses on early retirement, explaining why at a time of increasing longevity, and in particular healthy and active longevity, there is a continual withdrawal from the labour force of men and women who have not yet reached the formal age of retirement. While the expectation of a healthy life has been steadily growing, between 1950 and 1995 the estimated average age in the UK of the transition from economic employment to economic inactivity by older workers fell from 67.2 to 62.7 years for men and from 63.9 to 59.7 years for women. There are three main explanations for this change. First, economists have taken the view that there exist within most national pension systems incentives to retire. Second, sociologists argued that changes within the workplace and labour market have forced employees to withdraw. Finally, there are the changing attitudes of the workers and a growing internalisation of retirement as an extended period of funded leisure and consumption.

Older adults’ integration in the labour market: a global view

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Börsch-Supan ◽  
Felizia Hanemann ◽  
Brian Beach ◽  
Didier Halimi ◽  
Susana Harding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Early Retirement ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Labour Force Participation ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
Part Time ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Country Specific

Abstract What governs labour force participation in later life and why is it so different across countries? Health and labour force participation in older ages are not strongly linked, but we observe a large variation across countries in old-age labour force participation. This points to the important role of country-specific regulations governing pension receipt and old-age labour force participation. In addition to the statutory eligibility age for a pension, such country-specific regulations include: earnings tests that limit the amount of earnings when pension benefits are received; the amount of benefit deductions for early retirement; the availability of part-time pensions before normal retirement; special regulations that permit early retirement for certain population groups; and either subsidies or extra costs for employers if they keep older employees in their labour force. This paper asks two questions: Can we link a relatively low labour force participation at ages 60–64 to country-specific regulations that make early retirement attractive? and Can we link a relatively high labour force participation at ages 65–74 to country-specific regulations that make late retirement attractive? To answer these questions, we compared the experiences in a set of developed countries around the world in order to understand better the impact of country-specific rules and laws on work and retirement behaviour at older ages and, by consequence, on the financial sustainability of pension systems.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic status and health inequalities among older people from Bangladeshi ethnic minority group in England

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Z Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
London Borough ◽  
The United Kingdom

The study aims to examine what socio-economic, health and psychological problems of older Bangladeshi (55 years and older) experience in later life and what members of the Bangladeshi community perceive to be the reasons for these difficulties. It also aims at finding out the extent to which gerontological theories, that highlight the problems associated with later life, reflect the experiences of older people across ethnic and cultural differences in the United Kingdom. The research has been carried out in the London Borough of Croydon where a small number of Bangladeshi communities live. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with older people from the mixer of men and women so as to answer the above research question i.e. the problems and the effects of ageing process far from home where they made their later life abode. In a qualitative semi - structured interview study in the London Borough of Croydon, 17 older persons from the Bangladeshi communities were asked about their problems of ageing and how they feel about living and growing old in a western country.

scholarly journals ‘Fuller’ or ‘extended’ working lives? Critical perspectives on changing transitions from work to retirement

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRIS PHILLIPSON
Keyword(s):  
Older Workers ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Essential Requirement ◽  
Working Lives ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Part Time ◽  
New Forms Of Work

ABSTRACTResearch on older workers and retirement has yet to adjust fully to an environment influenced by a combination of demographic change, technological developments and economic recession. A key dimension to the changing relationship between ageing and work is the tension between policies to extend working life and the increasingly fragmented nature of late working life, with the emergence of varied transitions, including: bridge employment, second/third careers, part-time working, early retirement and other variations. These developments indicate both the challenge of conceptualising new forms of work-ending, and – in policy terms – the extent to which these can successfully accommodate longer working lives. The paper provides a critical perspective to the policy of extending working life and the narrative which underpins this approach. The paper argues that retirement has become a ‘contested’ institution in the 21st century, fragmented across different pathways and transitions affecting people in their fifties and sixties. The paper argues the case for improving work quality and security as a precondition for supporting policies for encouraging working in later life. An essential requirement for this will include linking debates on extending working life with technological developments and changes affecting the workplace, creating differentiated paths to retirement and labour force exit, enhancing the provision of training and continuing education, and re-thinking the idea of the ‘older worker’.

Af- en toename van arbeidspotentieel als beleidsthema. Leeftijdgericht arbeidsmarktbeleid in organisatie-intern perspectief

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Thijssen
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Early Retirement ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Replacement Policy ◽  
Labour Market Policy ◽  
Market Policy ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Retirement Policy ◽  
The Impact

De- and increase of the labour force as a subject of policy. Ageing-related labour market policy from an organisational perspective. De- and increase of the labour force as a subject of policy. Ageing-related labour market policy from an organisational perspective. The Netherlands, like many other Western countries, are used to a long tradition of pension policies opting for 65 as the standard retirement age, but from the eighties of the last century a massive number of older workers retired early opening positions for younger workers: a replacement policy to cope with unemployment. This early retirement policy reduced the amount of workers available for the labour market, but the influence on the proportion of working and non-working people was not significant. That changed dramatically because of recent demographic developments. As a reaction to the increasing ageing of the population the government is taking several decisions which have to promote working longer. However, the impact at organisational level is modest, although many companies are concerned with new older worker policies. Recent research findings offer an overview of responsible causes: especially the role of the managers of older workers is very important. Reflecting on the status quo this contribution will finish with three possible scenario’s for the future: 1 the repression scenario, raising obstacles to hinder early retirement; 2 the seduction scenario, creating attractive conditions to work longer; 3 the differentiation scenario, meeting the age-related interpersonal differences in employment opportunities and restrictions.

Flexible Employment in Later Life: Public Policy Panaceas in the Search for Mechanisms to Extend Working Lives

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Platman
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Working Lives ◽  
Flexible Employment ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
The Uk

Flexible employment has been suggested as an important policy solution to ‘the problem’ of inactive older workers. Temporary contracts, part-time jobs, self-employment and freelance consulting have been seen as viable options for people needing to make gradual transitions into retirement and for governments wishing to encourage an extension to working lives. Using the case of the UK, the paper examines the multi-stakeholder appeal of flexible transitions into retirement. However, the term has been poorly defined and conceptualised. Drawing on her own research, the author challenges the notion of flexible extensions to working lives for the oldest members of the labour force.

An ageing world and the challenges for a model of sustainable social change

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 464-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Angeloni ◽  
Elio Borgonovi
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Mandatory Retirement ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Main Challenge

Purpose – Although the world is rapidly ageing, the alarming explosion of youth unemployment seems to have removed the workforce ageing issue as a priority from the policy agenda. The purpose of this paper is to test and investigate the main needs and willingness to work among the older population, as well as the main advantages for organizations employing older workers. Design/methodology/approach – The main research objectives were: first, to explore the effect of demographic and socio-economic predictors on an older person’s intention to work; and second, to focus on the main advantages that should induce organizations to retain older workers in their workplace. The paper is based on a survey and an interdisciplinary review of the literature. Findings – The study indicated that educational level led to improved active behaviours in the labour market. In other words, people who obtained a higher level of education showed a greater likelihood to desire a prolongation of working life, while lower educational attainment may have lessened the willingness and capacity of older people to remain in the workforce. The main benefits for organizations with older workers are highlighted. Research limitations/implications – The survey has a number of limitations: the sample is small and was completed with reference to a single country, making it difficult to generalize results beyond this country study; the questionnaire relied solely on a few areas, while it would be better to gather additional information; the survey only targeted retired people, while it would have been interesting to also collect answers from workers nearing retirement. The association between individuals’ educational levels and their intention to work in later life suggests that continued development of educational programmes for workers could favour greater retention in the workplace. Practical implications – As the ageing population is an increasing phenomenon, the participation of older people in the labour force and lifelong learning should become commonplace in the perspective of a more equitable society. The main challenge is to rethink retirement, by abolishing the mandatory retirement age and by providing more flexible work options. Social implications – Changes in national system and corporate strategies are required to meet the economic challenges of ageing populations. Originality/value – This study advances research on age management because it provided evidence that educational background plays a fundamental role in determining the willingness to return to work. In addition, the paper proposes a new integrated approach of sustainable social change.

Early-retirement reform: can it and will it work?

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
HENDRIK P. VAN DALEN ◽  
KÈNE HENKENS
Keyword(s):  
Government Policy ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Early Retirement ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Policy Objective ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Retirement Intentions

Early retirement from the labour force has become standard practice for most employees in the industrialised world. However, as a result of the rising costs of early-retirement schemes, curbing the outflow of older workers from the labour force has become a central government policy objective. Early-retirement reforms under which benefits are financed on a more actuarially neutral basis are currently being implemented in The Netherlands. At present it is not clear how older workers will react to these policy reforms. In this article we examine the extent to which (Dutch) older workers are inclined to change their retirement intentions in response to new early-retirement arrangements. On the basis of a labour market and a population survey we examine retirement intentions under alternative early-retirement policies. The overall conclusion is that the retirement reform may lead to a substantial delay of the retirement date, but that in practice factors other than financial incentives are powerfully at work. This is also reflected in the long-run early-retirement trend. This trend presents demographers and economists with a puzzle, because while a break can be identified in the time series, it set in before the early-retirement reforms were put into practice.

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