Job quality trajectories among baby-boomers in Germany and their consequences for the motivation to work – results from the lidA cohort study

Michael Stiller,Hans Martin Hasselhorn,Nina Garthe

doi:10.1017/s0144686x21001343

Abstract

AbstractIn light of a large proportion of older workers leaving the German labour market in the near future, policy makers aim to extend working lives to ensure sustainability of the social security system. In this context, safe and healthy working conditions are considered a precondition for encouraging employment participation. To understand better the role of the work environment in pre-retirement years, we draw upon an established model of five job quality profiles for the German ageing workforce. We explored seven-year profile development and linked selected manual and non-manual job quality trajectories to the motivation to work (MTW) using data from the 2011, 2014 and 2018 assessments of the lidA cohort study (valid N = 2,863). We found that older workers shifted to physically less-demanding profiles. Individual profile stability was prevalent among one-third of the workers. In 2018, there was a higher MTW when job quality remained favourable or improved early, while later improvements were associated with lower MTW. Early deterioration of job quality was associated with lower MTW levels among workers with non-manual trajectories only. The results highlight the dynamic job quality situation of the older German workforce and the importance of adopting a person-centred perspective when investigating working conditions and its effects. They further underline the need to consider quality of work when designing and implementing strategies to extend working lives.

Highlights

Accelerated population ageing and its economic dynamics are major challenges as they put pressure on the national pension and social security systems of almost all Western countries (Börsch-Supan et al, 2003)
This trend was apparent for PQ and SnM in the first observation period already, χ2(3) = 8.7, p = 0.034, but even more so for all four profiles in the second assessment period, χ2(3) = 218.3, p < 0.001, indicating that over time older employees shifted to less physically demanding profiles, especially when former job quality was adverse
The Odds ratios (OR) for PQ to switch to RM were 1.4 and 1.1 and vice versa, indicating a somewhat higher association between manual profiles

Summary

Introduction

Accelerated population ageing and its economic dynamics are major challenges as they put pressure on the national pension and social security systems of almost all Western countries (Börsch-Supan et al, 2003). It is estimated that it will become stable at around 60.0 by 2080 (OECD, 2019: 175) This is the seventh highest projected old-age to working-age ratio among the European Union (EU) countries. Employment rates among older workers in Germany have increased substantially between 2009 and 2019 (age group 55–59: from 69.9% to 81.8%; age group 60–64: from 38.6% to 61.8%; Federal Office of Statistics, 2020), German policy regards continued promotion of sustainable working conditions necessary to improve health and well-being in the workforce with the aim to enhance employability in later working life (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2016: 37)

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