Working on: choice or necessity?

1. Working on: choice or necessity? Dr Pamela Clayton

2. Statistical Overview • The importance for European economies of people above retirement age • Demographic change • Skills shortages • Pensions Europeans working 65-69 • Very few on average • Top nation: Sweden • Above average: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Ireland, Cyprus, Portugal and the United Kingdom

3. United Kingdom: predictive factors (1) • Kind of people likely to stay in work Still working at retirement age Parents’ social class (men only) Having a small, not large, family Little previous unemployment Partner still working Good health Late starters Living in affluent regions

4. United Kingdom: predictive factors (2) • Other factors Amount of leisure Attitudes to leisure Attitudes to work Qualifications Job satisfaction

5. United Kingdom: motivations • Main motivations Joint retirement Work satisfaction Financial

6. United Kingdom motivations: Yeandle • Yeandle’s classification (2005) Career changers – want to try something new Downshifters – want less stress or more autonomy Identity maintainers – use existing skills in another setting Workers till they drop – low paid workers who have to work until they are forced to stop

7. United Kingdom motivations: CROW • Centre for Research into Older Workers classification (CROW) (2004) Choosers – usually highly qualified, will work if it is interesting Survivors – no qualifications, little choice about staying or leaving Jugglers – mainly women, medium qualifications – least likely to stay on

8. United Kingdom motivations: financial • Financial reasons Choice – could manage without work but wish to work, e.g. to increase pensions or savings Necessity – to avoid poverty (especially women), where savings are low and no occupational pension

9. United Kingdom motivations: work (1) • Job satisfaction Attractiveness of work – more autonomy – especially in self-employment Work-life balance – most work part time

10. United Kingdom motivations: work (2) • Elementary occupations Little choice for low-qualified workers Meeting people Less responsibility A change is as good as a rest

11. Real Lives: 9 case studies (1) • Predictive and motivational factors shown Skilled working class or middle class but not wealthy background, 4/9 Professional qualifications, 5/9 Still in the same job, same employer, 4/9 Job satisfaction, 8/9 Maintaining professional identity, 1/9 Divorced women, 4/9

12. Real Lives: 9 case studies (2) • Predictive and motivational factors shown Late starters, 2/9 Self-employed, 4/9 Likes company, 3/9 Financial need, 2/9 Work ethic, 5/9

13. Enabling factors • Factors amenable to policy intervention Education, qualifications and access to skills enhancement Employers’ attitudes and policy Health Government policy Vocational guidance and mentoring

14. Enabling factors: education • Education, qualifications and access to skills Generally, higher educated more likely to continue Difficult for older people with low education / skills to access VET Need for computer skills Skills obsolescence, not age, impairs productivity

15. Enabling factors: employers (1) • Attitudes and policies of employers Anti-ageist attitudes and practices Flexibility Good working conditions

16. Enabling factors: employers (2) • Anti-ageist attitudes and practices No fixed retirement age No discrimination in recruitment No discrimination in training

17. Enabling factors: employers (3) • Flexibility Mainly manifested in part-time working Adaptations for disabled workers or those with health problems Flexi-time for carers

18. Enabling factors: employers (4) • Good working conditions More autonomy Trust Control over work Being appreciated

19. Enabling factors: health • Health More prosperous countries report better health Health problems greatest barrier to work (but some in poor health carry on working) Health and safety at work

20. Enabling factors: government policy (1) • Policy areas Pensions Adult education Health Anti-discrimination legislation and enforcement

21. Enabling factors: government policy (2) • Pensions Incentives through state pension schemes (benefits of deferral) Allowing employment while taking state pension Allowing people to take occupational pension and stay working with same employer

22. Enabling factors: government policy (3) • Adult education Funding for adult education Funding for re-skilling or learning new skills

23. Enabling factors: government policy (4) • Health Enforcing health and safety at work Diminishing class inequalities Providing measures for the physical and psychological well-being of workers Supporting carers

24. Enabling factors: guidance • Guidance and mentoring Financial advice Educational guidance Guidance for career change Guidance for labour market re-entry Advice on self-employment Planning for retirement

25. Conclusion (1) • Factors to consider Characteristics of post-retirement workers Working life Employer attitudes Heterogeneity of older people National/local factors

26. Conclusion (2) • Necessity or choice? Leisure after working life should be a right Continued working should be a choice Choice is a luxury denied to many Employers and government can have some effect on increasing post-retirement working Other alternatives – voluntary work

27. Finally • In memoriam: Geoff Ford