Back to work: A study of post-retirement work in the senior staffing industry

Research Question: It´s becoming increasingly common in the Swedish labor market to work after retirement.

Statistics from the Swedish Pension Authority show that about 264,000 Swedes have an earned income while receiving their public pension.

Many of these post-retirement workers (In Swedish: Jobbonärer) are employed through staffing agencies specialized for retirees.

Although post-retirement work and senior staffing agencies has received increasing media attention and embodies the political ambitions of active aging and a longer working life, critical perspectives and research on their development and growth are lacking.

The purpose of this project is to increase knowledge about post-retirement employment in and outside senior staffing agencies by (1) mapping the historical development of post-retirement work and senior staffing companies in Sweden, (2) explaining the demographic background of senior workers, their motivations for working, and (3) interpreting the discourses and narratives that are conveyed and legitimize work after retirement within senior staffing companies and in society.

The project´s research questions are answered using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

The results will be interpreted from two theoretical perspectives, capability and discursive theories that critically examine the concept of “active aging.”Data and Method: Data consists of register and survey data, semi-structured interviews, and ethnographic field studies.

Implementation: The research questions are answered with (a) register data, (b) a survey conducted among senior workers within one or more senior staffing companies, (c) interviews with post-retirement workers and operational managers, and (d) an ethnographic and narrative analysis of marketing, senior fairs, and participant observations.

Through a combination of methods and perspectives, the project contributes to an increased understanding of post-retirement work in the context of senior staffing companies.Social Relevance and Utilization: The project aims to collaborate with interest groups in the labor market to strengthen the research base and provide knowledge about job seniors both within and outside senior staffing companies.

This knowledge can form the basis for policy-relevant recommendations that promote sustainable working conditions within this ´new´ form of employment and ´new´ type of staffing agencies.