Employment status among the Singapore elderly and its correlates

It has been hypothesized that working beyond retirement age may have a protective effect on various aspects of well-being in the elderly. This paper aims to examine the relationship between employment status of elderly Singaporeans and indicators of well-being.

As part of the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study, data relating to sociodemographics, social networks, medical history, physical activity, cognitive function, and disability were collected from 2534 participants aged 60 years and older. Participants included full-time workers (n = 483), part-time workers (n = 205), the unemployed (n = 32), homemakers (n = 808), and retirees (n = 1006). The data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression.

Likelihood of being employed decreased with age, and employment was higher among men. Paid workers had significantly higher levels of physical activity, more extensive social networks, better cognitive function, less disability, and lower risk of dementia than retirees and homemakers. Paid workers had significantly lower chronic disease burden than retirees and rated their health to be better than retirees and the unemployed.

These findings show that meaningful employment is associated with better psychological and physiological well-being among the elderly, highlighting the importance of studying likely protective effects of employment and creating employment opportunities for elderly Singaporeans.