Subjective employment perspective among older workers with and without migrant background in Germany

Abstract

Abstract Background In the coming years, large groups of workers with migrant background will reach pensionable age in Germany. However, this group has been virtually ignored by worldwide retirement research so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the subjective employment perspective in higher working age for employees with migrant background (EMB) and without (non-EMB). By subjective employment perspective, we mean willing, being able to and planning to work until the individual state pension age (iSPA). Methods A representative sample of socially insured employees, born in 1959 or 1965, was surveyed in 2011, 2014 and 2018 with computer assisted personal interviews for the lidA-study. The current cross-sectional analysis is based on data from the third study wave (n = 3286) of the lidA cohort study. EMB were differentiated via generation (first-generation, G1, vs. second-generation, G2), or nationality (German vs. foreign). Applying bivariate statistics with tests of independence and block-wise logistic regressions, group differences were investigated. Sex, age, educational level, net household income, health and work factors were considered as covariates. Results When comparing subgroups of EMB, significant differences appeared in bivariate analyses for willing and planning to work. G1 were to a higher degree planning to work longer than G2 and those EMB with foreign nationality were more willing and planning than those EMB with German nationality. Multivariate analyses revealed significant differences of G1 and non-EMB for planning, being significant in the fully adjusted model, but not for willing. Conclusions Our study has found persistent differences between first-generation migrants and non-migrant workers in the subjective employment perspective with regard to planning. These findings underline the need for further retirement research in migrant groups as well as the need for differentiation of migrant groups in social and public health research. Key messages Socio-epidemiological research identifies employees born abroad or with foreign nationality as risk-groups in times of extending working lives. Public health and social policy shall focus on them. Public health research should differentiate migrant subgroups, as people with migrant background are not homogenous and very diverse in various aspects.