Living longer, working longer: economic activity up to and beyond the State Pension Age in England

Abstract

With life expectancy rising and the State Pension Age (SPA) increasing, understanding patterns of retirement and drivers of working up-to,and beyond the SPA, is a key policy priority. Academic research has highlighted that demographic, health, socio-economic, geographical and caring characteristics are associated with economic activity inlater life. However, research has often examined these associations in isolation as opposed to together. To improve the ability of policy-makers to identify individuals who are most likely to be economically active in later life, further research, which explores individual characteristics and their association with economic activity, was required. This research uses a quantitative approach employing bivariate and multivariate methods to explore the combined relative associations of a number of derived variables from Wave 5 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), among male and female individuals who are above and below the SPA.

The results show that factors associated with economic activity in later life vary between individuals who are above or below the SPA, and there are important gender dimensions at play. For example, among individuals who are above the SPA, the factors of age, housing tenure, occupational social class and pension scheme membership are associated with economic activity, whereas among individuals who are bwlo the SPA, a person's self-reported general health (SRGH), reports of a limiting long-standing illness (LLSI), housing tenure, pension scheme membership and caring status were associated with economic activity. Among men, it was age, housing tenure, occupational social class and pension scheme membership which were consistently associated with economic activity, whereas among women, the variables of marital status, reports of a LLSI, housing tenure, pension scheme membership and caring status were significant for economic activity. These findings can help to inform policy-makers in designing legislation in the area of work in later life, as well as retirement and pension provision

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Identifiers

ORCID for Maria Evandrou: orcid.org/0000-0002-2115-9358

ORCID for Athina Vlachantoni: orcid.org/0000-0003-1539-3057

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