Midcourse in the United States: Does unpaid community participation replace paid work?

Abstract

This study examines the links between formal community participation (defined as volunteer work for an organization) in the United States and psychological well-being, focusing on retirement as a key status transition. It draws on data from 762 American retirees and not-yet-retired older workers in the midcourse years (in their 50s, 60s, and early 70s) to examine: (1) whether unpaid community participation of retirees compensates for the loss of connectedness associated with their paid career jobs, and (2) whether community participation predicts the well-being of various subgroups of retirees. We find little difference in the community participation of midcourse Americans by their retirement status. But community participation does predict the well-being of retirees, supporting a compensatory hypothesis. Dividing the sample of retirees into those who engage in post-retirement paid work and those who do not reveals a positive association between community participation and well-being for non-workers only. Community participation appears especially salutary for the well-being of some subgroups of retirees in the United States (men more than women, those with less income, and those in poor health).