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Work Beyond the Age of 50. What Role for Mental v.s. Physical Health?

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  • Vandenberghe, Vincent

Abstract

This paper contributes to the literature on old employment barriers by exploring empirically the relative importance of mental v.s. physical health in determining work. It combines regression and variance decomposition analyses to quantify the respective role of mental v.s. physical health. The data used are from SHARE and inform in great detail on the health but also work status (i.e. employment and hours) of individuals aged 50+, interviewed between 2004 and 2017 in 21 European countries. The main result of the paper is that of the rather limited role of mental health | in comparison to physical health | in accounting for older individuals' work. The paper also shows that health (physical or mental) is much better at predicting old people's propensity to be in employment than the number of hours they work. Finally, the paper reveals that, in comparison to women, men's work is more driven by their health status.

Suggested Citation

  • Vandenberghe, Vincent, 2021. "Work Beyond the Age of 50. What Role for Mental v.s. Physical Health?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 796, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:796
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ageing; Work; Mental v.s. Physical Health; Regressions and Variance Decomposition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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