Motivational Drivers of Temporal Dynamics in Postretirement Work

Many retirees continue to work in retirement, but the temporal dynamics of this process are not well understood. This article examined the extent to which retirees increase, decrease, and exit their work engagement over time. We hypothesized that different motives for postretirement work-financial, social, personal, and organizational-have differential affects on changes in work extent.

We analyzed 7 waves of the HEalth, Aging and Retirement Transitions in Sweden study (n = 3,123). Postretirement work was defined as working for pay while receiving pension benefits. Changes in work extent were estimated with multistate models and examined in relation to the 4 motives.

Results showed a gradual decrease in work extent following retirement. Financial motives increased the likelihood to take up more work and decreased the likelihood to reduce work hours. Social motives increased the likelihood to reduce and exit work, while personal motives decreased the likelihood for those same pathways. Organizational (demand-driven) motives increased the likelihood to stop working.

Our findings suggest that financial motives constitute an important driver for taking up more work in retirement, while motives related to the personal meaning of work explain why retirees maintain their level of engagement over time. The social function of work, on the other hand, may be gradually replaced by social activities outside of work, resulting in a gradual disengagement from work. Finally, demand-driven motives appear insufficient to remain in the labor force, highlighting the need to acknowledge the diversity of motives for continuing to work.