Labour market

Abstract

Although employment participation of older workers and their timing of (early) retirement is often modelled as an individual-level decision, the opportunities or late career employment, and restrictions that older workers potentially face, are largely shaped by labour market contextual factors. These may include labour market regulations and policies, attitudes of employers, as well as other dynamics between employers and employees and/or their associations. Much of the research in this field focuses on the supply side of the labour market. That is, when and why older workers want to continue working, and what the effects of policy changes are on the supply side. Although growing in importance, there is less understanding of how employers’ attitudes and behaviour affect employment participation rates of older workers.