Abstract
Many developed nations seek to increase older people’s work participation. Work and family are linked to paid work in later life, and to each other. Few studies combined work and family histories using multichannel sequence analysis capturing status and timing of transitions in relation to work in later life. Using the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, for whom State Pension Age was age 65 (men) or 60 (women), we examined paid work at age 60–64 (and age 68–69 for men only) by work–family patterns across 35 years (ages 16–51). Women’s later work was related to the combination of timing of children and work during family formation. Women who had children later were more likely to work full-time at age 60–64 compared to the reference [characterised by continuous full-time employment, marriage, and children from their early 20s; adjusted OR 5.36 (95% CI 1.84, 15.60)]. Earlier motherhood was associated with lower likelihood of work at age 60–64 among those who did not return to work before age 51, but those who took a work break did not differ from those who worked continuously. Providing jobs which allow parents to combine work and family (e.g. part-time jobs) may encourage them to extend their working lives. In addition, men and women characterised by continuous full-time work and no children were less likely to work in their sixties. Associations were not explained by childhood health and social class, education, caregiving, housing tenure, or limiting illness. Research is needed to understand why childless people work less in later life.
Highlights
Governments in many developed nations seek to increase the paid work participation rates of older people
Work and family patterns from age 16 to 51 derived by multichannel sequence analysis were associated with paid work participation at age 60 +
In this cohort of British babyboomers, both men and women characterised by continuous full-time employment who neither partnered nor had children were less likely than their counterparts who formed a family early to be in paid work at age 60 +
Summary
Governments in many developed nations seek to increase the paid work participation rates of older people. This is in response to the projected increase in the number of people aged 65 and over, and concerns over rising dependency ratios (Eurostat 2017). Participation among people in their 50s and 60s are a priority and the State Pension Age is being raised (Department for Work and Pensions 2014). Many post-war baby-boomers (born between 1945 and 1965) have retired and did so before their State Pension Age. Subsequent generations will be required to extend their working life because of the increase in the State Pension Age. Evidence on the factors that facilitate early and late exit is important for researchers and policy to provide advice on effective ways to extend working lives
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