Research project Risks, gains and trade-offs in the late career

Increasing numbers of older people are continuing in paid work after becoming eligible for old-age pensions and yet we know little about what these jobs are like. We also know very little about the impacts on older people’s personal finances of working in the years typically set aside for retirement.

In this project, with the full title "Risks, gains and trade-offs in the late career: How does remaining in the labour market after pensionable age affect working conditions and living standards in the United States and Sweden?", we aim to: 

1. examine continuities and changes in the nature of jobs held after pensionable age and how these might reflect trade-offs older people make, 
2. examine whether these processes occur differently for individuals who are experiencing financial disadvantage, 
3. observe the degree to which typical types of post-pensionable-age jobs might protect individuals against declines in living standards, 
4. provide insights into how national contextual factors, such as employment systems and pensions policies, may affect job quality and the financial benefits of work for the oldest workers.

Longitudinal analyses will be performed with data from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) and the United States Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

Findings from this three-year project will help develop gerontological theory as well as being relevant for social policies seeking to encourage employment among older workers and to reduce poverty in later life.