[Classification of employment needs among older adults using cluster analysis: A Wako Cohort Study]

Objectives　Employment in old age serves multiple purposes beyond economic independence. It helps maintain physical and mental health, fosters social connections, and provides a sense of purpose in life. Promoting employment among older adults requires an understanding of their preferred working styles. However, employment needs are multifaceted and aggregated needs have not yet been fully clarified. This study aimed to categorize older adults' employment needs based on multiple factors and to show the characteristics of each type.Methods　Data were drawn from the Wako Cohort Study of men and women aged 65 and older residing in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Of the 6,429 valid respondents to the mail survey, 1,053 individuals who have expressed a desire to work were included in the analysis. Participants were classified through non-hierarchical cluster analysis, based on desired working days and hours, preferences for physical work and simple tasks, and factors they prioritized when choosing a job (i.e., salary, use of experience and skills, and sense of social contribution). Subsequently, chi-square test was performed to compare the three groups, and multiple comparisons were performed for sex, age group, living arrangements, longest-held job, current employment status, frailty, and desired job type.Results　Cluster analysis identified three types of employment needs based on the participants' characteristics. The "Minimal-schedule Skill-utilizing Employment Type" (35.2%) preferred working one to four days per week and one to less than four hours per day, with an emphasis on their capacity to use their experience and skills and being useful to others and society, rather than on physical or simple tasks. This group had a higher proportion of individuals with adequate living conditions and former professional/technical workers than other groups. The "Minimal-schedule Manual Employment Type" (25.6%) preferred simple tasks and working one to four days per week for one to less than four hours per day. The prevalence of unemployment and frailty was higher in this group. The "Moderate-schedule Physical Employment Type" (39.1%) preferred physical work of four to less than seven hours per day, three to four days per week. They comprised a higher percentage of men, individuals aged 65-69, current workers, and former blue-collar workers than the other groups.Conclusions　This study clarified three types of employment needs among older adults and identified the background factors associated with each. These findings can be used to develop employment opportunities and job-matching.