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Evidence for a preretirement process among older male workers
1Center on Aging, University of Kansas Medical Center.
Journal of Gerontology
|March 1, 1993
Summary
Older workers nearing retirement report more job tension and fatigue. This study shows job burden increases as retirement age approaches, highlighting a preretirement dynamic.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Occupational Psychology
- Sociology of Work
Background:
- Older workers often undergo a role-exit process before retirement.
- Job attitudes may shift as retirement proximity increases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how job attitudes change as older workers approach retirement.
- To investigate the relationship between time-left to retirement and job burden.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal panel data from 1,365 nonretired male workers (aged 50-69).
- Four waves of data collected over nine years (1978-1987).
- Pooled time-series analysis to assess job tension and fatigue.
Main Results:
- Workers reported increased job burden as they neared a fixed retirement age.
- This effect was consistent regardless of the worker's specific age.
- Evidence supports a preretirement dynamic influencing older workers' experiences.
Conclusions:
- Time-left to retirement significantly organizes the work experience of older men.
- Job attitudes are not static but dynamically change during the preretirement phase.
- Findings suggest a predictable psychological shift preceding retirement.
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