Work engagement among older workers: a systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Organizational Psychology
• Human Resources

Background:

• Population aging necessitates understanding older worker engagement.
• Age may alter psychological and environmental impacts on work engagement.
• Keeping older workers motivated is crucial for the labor force.

Approach:

• Systematic review of 50 articles published up to July 2022.
• Included studies focused on participants aged 40 and older.
• Articles primarily from Europe and the United States using observational designs.

Key Points:

• Work engagement generally increases with age, mediated by emotional regulation.
• Age moderates the influence of job factors on work engagement.
• Engagement is linked to intentions to work past retirement age.

Conclusions:

• Older workers exhibit distinct engagement patterns influenced by age.
• Organizations must adopt age-conscious strategies to support older employees.
• Understanding age-related engagement is vital for workforce adaptation.