직장 내 연령차별이 중노년기 외로움에 미치는 영향

Abstract

This paper examines whether age discrimination at work is associated with loneliness and how this association is buffered by social participation among older adults in South Korea. Data are drawn from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA; 2006-2020). Age discrimination at work is measured using respondents' reports on whether their colleagues fostered a work environment where older employees are expected to retire before reaching the mandatory retirement age. We estimate loneliness by asking respondents their feelings of loneliness. Growth curve models are used to predict the long-term effects of age discrimination at work on the trajectories of loneliness over time. Our results suggest that older workers who experienced an early retirement atmosphere at work are more likely to feel lonely compared to those who do not. However, the association between age discrimination at work and loneliness is found to be moderated by social interactions with homogeneous groups such as alumni associations or hometown associations. The proportion of older workers has significantly increased over the past decades. These findings underscore the need for developing intervention aimed at enhancing the working environment to prevent further disparities among older workers in Korea.