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Trends and determinants of work-retirement transitions under changing institutional conditions: Germany, England and Japan compared

FLYNN, MATTHEW; Hofäcker, Dirk; HOF�CKER, DIRK; Schröder, Heike; SCHR�DER, HEIKE; Li, Yuxin; LI, YUXIN; Flynn, Matthew

Authors

MATTHEW FLYNN

Dirk Hofäcker

DIRK HOF�CKER

Heike Schröder

HEIKE SCHR�DER

Yuxin Li

YUXIN LI

Matthew Flynn



Abstract

Many governments world-wide are promoting longer working life due to the social and economic repercussions of demographic change. However, not all workers are equally able to extend their employment careers. Thus, while national policies raise the overall level of labour market participation, they might create new social and labour market inequalities. This paper explores how institutional differences in the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan affect individual retirement decisions on the aggregate level, and variations in individuals’ degree of choice within and across countries. We investigate which groups of workers are disproportionately at risk of being ‘pushed’ out of employment, and how such inequalities have changed over time. We use comparable national longitudinal survey datasets focusing on the older population in England, Germany and Japan. Results point to cross-national differences in retirement transitions. Retirement transitions in Germany have occurred at an earlier age than in England and Japan. In Japan, the incidence of involuntary retirement is the lowest, reflecting an institutional context prescribing that employers provide employment until pension age, while Germany and England display substantial proportions of involuntary exits triggered by organisational-level redundancies, persistent early retirement plans or individual ill-health.

Citation

Hofäcker, D., Schröder, H., Li, Y., & Flynn, M. (2016). Trends and determinants of work-retirement transitions under changing institutional conditions: Germany, England and Japan compared. Journal of Social Policy, 45(1), 39-64. https://doi.org/10.1017/S004727941500046X

Journal Article Type Review
Acceptance Date Sep 14, 2015
Online Publication Date Sep 14, 2015
Publication Date 2016-01
Deposit Date May 15, 2019
Journal Journal of Social Policy
Print ISSN 0047-2794
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 45
Issue 1
Pages 39-64
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/S004727941500046X
Keywords Social Sciences (miscellaneous); Public Administration; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/1788131
Publisher URL https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-social-policy/article/trends-and-determinants-of-workretirement-transitions-under-changing-institutional-conditions-germany-england-and-japan-compared/EB9137AECE26A29EBEE7C195A79522D0