Do good psychosocial working conditions prolong working lives? Findings from a prospective study in Sweden
Year: 2021
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Due to an ageing population, governments in European countries are striving to keep older workers longer in the workforce. Remarkably few studies have paid attention to the influence of psychosocial working conditions on timing of retirement for older workers in and beyond normative retirement age. The aim of the present study was to examine whether good psychosocial working conditions contribute to prolonged working lives among older workers (59 years and above). A particular question was whether such conditions increase in importance with age. Seven waves (2006–2018) of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) were used (N = 6000, observations = 10,632). Discrete-time event history analyses showed that higher levels of job resources (decision authority [OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.06–1.22], skill use [OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07–1.29], learning opportunities [OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.13–1.31], social support [OR 1.29 (95% CI 1.16–1.42], work-time control [OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.13], and reward [OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.24–1.57])—but not lower levels of job demands (quantitative and emotional demands or effort)—were associated with working longer (continued work two years later). Also, low effort-reward imbalance (OR 0.84 [95% CI 0.73–0.96]) was associated with working longer. In addition, skill use, work-time control, reward, and low effort-reward imbalance increased in importance with age for continued work. These results suggest that providing older workers with control over their work tasks, giving opportunities for learning and using their skills, as well as rewarding and acknowledging their achievements, may keep them in the workforce longer. Especially, job resources may grow in importance with age.
Source: European Journal of Ageing
Institutions: Stockholm University, University of Eastern Finland
Language: English
Subfield: Demography
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,780
Awards: SLOSH Wave V: Extension of the nationally representative cohort study on a sustainable working life, SLOSH - The Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health - Wave III, G1894083940, G2701324444, G4201172842, G4691282113, SLOSH Wave VI: Continuation of the nationally representative cohort study on a sustainable working life, National infrastructure for research about social relations, work and health across the life course (REWHARD), Growing older, working longer: the role of working conditions, G6072278244, G6839004713, G7128059217, G7178515370, G8323298535, G8352007915
OpenAlex ID: W4200534171