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?

Increasing numbers of older people are continuing in paid work after becoming eligible for old-age pensions, yet little is known about what their jobs are like, nor about the financial implications of working in the years typically set aside for retirement.

The purpose of this project is to examine the nature and financial impacts of participation in the labour market after pensionable age in two contrasting societies: Sweden and the United States.

It has the following aims: 1) to examine continuities and changes in the nature of jobs held after pensionable age and how these might reflect trade-offs older people make, 2) to examine whether these processes occur differently for individuals who are experiencing financial disadvantage, 3) to observe the degree to which typical types of post-pensionable-age jobs might protect individuals against declines in living standards, 4) to 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.