Planned Retirement Timing in Europe: Are Europeans Adapting to the Policy of Extending Working Lives

Moritz Hess; Laura Naegele; Lena Becker; Jana Mäcken; Wouter De Tavernier

doi:10.3389/fsoc.2021.691066

Planned Retirement Timing in Europe: Are Europeans Adapting to the Policy of Extending Working Lives

Front Sociol. 2021 Aug 5:6:691066. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2021.691066. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Moritz Hess¹, Laura Naegele², Lena Becker³, Jana Mäcken⁴, Wouter De Tavernier⁵

Affiliations

¹ Hochschule Niederrhein, University of Applied Sciences, Mönchengladbach, Germany.
² Department of Ageing and Work, Institute for Gerontology, University of Vechta, Vechta, Germany.
³ SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
⁴ University of Cologne, University Hospital, Cologne, Germany.
⁵ KU Leuven, Center for Social and Psychology, Leuven, Belgium.

Abstract

As populations are ageing concerns regarding the sustainability of European welfare states have come to the forefront. In reaction, policy makers have implemented measurements aimed at the prolongation of working lives. This study investigates weather older workers have adapted their planned retirement age, as a result of this new policy credo. Based on data from Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) the analysis shows an increase of the planned retirement age (1.36 years) across all ten European countries investigated, albeit with country-specific variations. Variations on the individual level can be detected in regard to gender, education and self-reported health status.

Keywords: SHARE; pension; population ageing; preferred retirement age; retirement behaviour; retirement transition.