Objectives: The project explored the dynamics of labour market participation and exit trajectories from the perspective of older near-retirement workers. The study assumes that while measures towards prolonging work careers is an urgently outspoken goal in most ageing societies, age bias and ageist attitudes still work against age-inclusiveness in the workforce.
Results: Using qualitative longitudinal methodology, the study produced an empirically based understanding of the unfolding contemporary work profiles and retirement pathways over time following job loss in late working life. The study expanded on previous, predominantly quantitative or panel research studies and yields novel knowledge on the unfolding dynamics between ageism, individual agency and career decision-making practices among people nearing retirement age. The main products are a contribution to the methodological, qualitative longitudinal development of ageism research, and a policy paper on the dynamics of ageism and individual agency in career development in late working life and during late life unemployment.
Secondment(s)(Months), co-Supervisors: JU (3m), Dr. Jolanta Perek-Bialas ; Finnish Centre for Pensions (3.4m), Dr. Susan Kuivalainen. The first secondment was geared towards better understanding the macro-level around ageism in the workforce, collaborate on the joint policy brief, advance understanding of statistical methods and finalize joint publications together with ESR1. The second secondment was geared towards making the research findings more applicable for policy makers and to gain a better understanding of how research is translated into policies, learn more about national and European-level policies focusing on the labor market and retirement, as well as gain a better understanding of the pension system and career and retirement opportunities in the national context where the ESR’s research is located.
