Financial Reasons for Working beyond the Statutory Retirement Age: Risk Factors and Associations with Health in Late Life

Abstract

Despite an increasing trend of working life prolongation, little is known about the risk factors for financial reasons for working beyond the statutory retirement age (SRA), and how these reasons relate to health. The present study examined (1) the determinants of working beyond the SRA, (2) the workers' self-reported reasons for working beyond the SRA, and (3) the association between these reasons and health in late life. Cross-sectional data of 1241 individuals from the Swiss survey "Vivre/Leben/Vivere" were analyzed. The results showed that people with a low level of education and with a low income have an 80% higher risk of working beyond the SRA for financial reasons than for other reasons (p < 0.001). Moreover, self-rated health was not significantly associated with working beyond the SRA for financial reasons but was significantly associated with education and income (p < 0.01). In conclusion, while previous studies have already identified financial difficulties as one important reason for working beyond the SRA, the present study indicated the socioeconomic factors that are crucial for increasing the risk for working beyond the SRA. Thus, our results help to guide the adaptation of social policies for better maintaining and promoting the health of particularly vulnerable older workers.

Keywords: older workers; public health; public policy reform; reasons for retirement; socioeconomic inequality; working life prolongation.

Figure 1

(a–d) Predicted probabilities and 95% confidence intervals, based on a multinomial logistic regression on reason for working beyond the SRA.

Figure 2

Predicted probabilities and 95% confidence intervals for the lowest level of income and for all levels of education, based on a multinomial logistic regression on the reason for working beyond the SRA.