Responding to Disability Onset in the Late Working Years: What do Older Workers do?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Occupational Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Many older adults continue working past age 55.
• Disability onset can significantly impact career trajectories.
• Understanding occupational transitions is crucial for aging workforce policies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between new-onset disability and occupational changes in older workers.
• To identify the prevalence of new disabilities among those working at age 55.
• To inform policies supporting labor force attachment for aging populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).
• Focused on a cohort of workers aged 55+ without reported disabilities at baseline.
• Analyzed occupational transitions (job changes, work cessation) following disability onset.

Main Results:

• Approximately 25% of older workers experience new disabilities before retirement.
• Workers with new disabilities are more likely to stop working or change occupations compared to peers.
• Disability onset is a significant factor in occupational mobility for older adults.

Conclusions:

• New disability onset is a common event impacting older workers' careers.
• Policies promoting labor force attachment should address disability onset.
• Employer accommodations may facilitate continued employment for workers experiencing health limitations.