IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joecag/v31y2025ics2212828x25000313.html

Aging and work capacity

Author

Listed:
  • Garcia, Italo Lopez
  • Maestas, Nicole
  • Mullen, Kathleen J.

Abstract

Declining health with age can limit individuals’ work capacity, increasing the likelihood of mismatch between their abilities to perform certain tasks and the minimum demands of the jobs available to them. Traditional measures of health status are insufficient for understanding how labor supply outcomes are influenced by the match between individuals’ abilities and job demands. We use unique survey data on individuals’ self-reported ability levels, harmonized with occupational ability requirements from the O*NET database, to develop a new measure of work capacity. We find that average abilities overall and across different domains are high relative to average occupational demands. At the same time, age-related declines in abilities are modest, at least through age 70. Putting these elements together, individuals’ work capacity is relatively stable with age. Finally, we show that our measures of work capacity are predictive of current and expected future labor supply outcomes, with and without controls for standard health variables.

Suggested Citation

  • Garcia, Italo Lopez & Maestas, Nicole & Mullen, Kathleen J., 2025. "Aging and work capacity," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joecag:v:31:y:2025:i:c:s2212828x25000313
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2025.100576
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212828X25000313
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jeoa.2025.100576?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James W. Vaupel, 2010. "Biodemography of human ageing," Nature, Nature, vol. 464(7288), pages 536-542, March.
    2. Kevin Milligan & Tammy Schirle, 2017. "Health Capacity to Work at Older Ages: Evidence from Canada," NBER Chapters, in: Social Security Programs and Retirement around the World: The Capacity to Work at Older Ages, pages 59-83, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Nicole Maestas & Kathleen J. Mullen & David Powell & Till von Wachter & Jeffrey B. Wenger, 2023. "The Value of Working Conditions in the United States and the Implications for the Structure of Wages," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(7), pages 2007-2047, July.
    4. Henry S. Farber & Chris M. Herbst & Dan Silverman & Till von Wachter, 2019. "Whom Do Employers Want? The Role of Recent Employment and Unemployment Status and Age," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(2), pages 323-349.
    5. Nicole Maestas & Kathleen J. Mullen & David Powell, 2023. "The Effect of Population Aging on Economic Growth, the Labor Force, and Productivity," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 306-332, April.
    6. Börsch-Supan, Axel & Weiss, Matthias, 2016. "Productivity and age: Evidence from work teams at the assembly line," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 7(C), pages 30-42.
    7. Louise Sheiner & Daniel E. Sichel & Lawrence Slifman, 2007. "A primer on the macroeconomic implications of population aging," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2007-01, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    8. Kathleen McGarry, 2004. "Health and Retirement: Do Changes in Health Affect Retirement Expectations?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 39(3).
    9. Courtney Coile & Kevin Milligan & David A. Wise, 2017. "Health Capacity to Work at Older Ages: Evidence from the United States," NBER Chapters, in: Social Security Programs and Retirement around the World: The Capacity to Work at Older Ages, pages 359-394, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Benjamin Berger & Italo Lopez Garcia & Nicole Maestas & Kathleen J. Mullen, 2022. "The Link between Health and Working Longer: Disparities in Work Capacity," NBER Working Papers 30036, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Anek Belbase & Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher & Christopher M. Gillis, 2015. "Does Age-Related Decline in Ability Correspond with Retirement Age?," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College wp2015-24, Center for Retirement Research.
    12. Nicole Maestas, 2019. "Identifying Work Capacity and Promoting Work: A Strategy for Modernizing the SSDI Program," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 686(1), pages 93-120, November.
    13. Péter Hudomiet & Michael D. Hurd & Susann Rohwedder & Robert J. Willis, 2017. "The Effect of Physical and Cognitive Decline at Older Ages on Work and Retirement: Evidence from Occupational Job Demands and Job Mismatch," Working Papers wp372, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bloom, David E. & Scott, Andrew J., 2025. "Introduction to this Special Issue: The Economics of Ageing," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Italo Lopez Garcia & Nicole Maestas & Kathleen J. Mullen, 2019. "Latent Work Capacity and Retirement Expectations," Working Papers wp400, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    2. Allen, Steven G., 2023. "Demand for older workers: What do we know? What do we need to learn?," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    3. Pamela Giustinelli & Matthew D. Shapiro, 2024. "SeaTE: Subjective Ex Ante Treatment Effect of Health on Retirement," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(2), pages 278-317, April.
    4. Rahi Abouk & Keshar M. Ghimire & Johanna Catherine Maclean & David Powell, 2023. "Pain Management and Work Capacity: Evidence From Workers’ Compensation and Marijuana Legalization," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(3), pages 737-770, June.
    5. Patrick Button, 2017. "Seniors for Hire? Age Discrimination, "Sex-Plus-Age" Discrimination, and the Effectiveness of Age Discrimination Laws," Working Papers 1715, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    6. Kim, Hoolda & Song Lee, Bun, 2023. "Aging workforce, wages, and productivity: Do older workers drag productivity down in Korea?," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    7. Devon Gorry & Sita Nataraj Slavov, 2023. "The effect of retirement on health behaviors," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(10), pages 2234-2259, October.
    8. Iñigo Calvo-Sotomayor & Ekhi Atutxa & Ricardo Aguado, 2020. "Who Is Afraid of Population Aging? Myths, Challenges and an Open Question from the Civil Economy Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Wen-Hsin Huang & Yen-Ju Lin & Hsien-Feng Lee, 2019. "Impact of Population and Workforce Aging on Economic Growth: Case Study of Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-13, November.
    10. Steven G. Allen, 2019. "Demand for Older Workers: What Do Economists Think? What Are Firms Doing?," NBER Working Papers 26597, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Evsey T. Gurvich & Maria A. Ivanova, 2018. "Economic Effect of Population Ageing and Pension Reforms," Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal, Financial Research Institute, Moscow 125375, Russia, issue 5, pages 9-22, October.
    12. Cylus, Jonathan & Al Tayara, Lynn, 2021. "Health, an ageing labour force, and the economy: Does health moderate the relationship between population age-structure and economic growth?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    13. Hou, Bo & Wang, Gewei & Wang, Yafeng & Zhao, Yaohui, 2021. "The health capacity to work at older ages in urban China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    14. Rainer Kotschy & Uwe Sunde & Tommaso MonacelliManaging Editor, 2018. "Can education compensate the effect of population ageing on macroeconomic performance?," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 33(96), pages 587-634.
    15. Miao Zhang & Shibing You & Li Zhang & Houli Zhang & Yukun Wang, 2023. "Dynamic Analysis of the Effects of Aging on China’s Sustainable Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, March.
    16. Osathanunkul, Rossarin & Dumrong, Pasinee & Yamaka, Woraphon & Maneejuk, Paravee, 2023. "The nonlinear impacts of aging labor and government health expenditures on productivity in ASEAN+3 economies," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 450-470.
    17. Kotschy, Rainer & Sunde, Uwe, 2016. "Skills, Aging, and Productivity: Evidence from Panel Data," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145895, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    18. Huang, Yi-Hou & Liang, Woan-lih & Truong, Quang-Thai & Wang, Yanzhi, 2022. "No new tricks for old dogs? Old directors and innovation performance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    19. Schreiber Philipp, 2018. "Widowhood and Retirement Timing: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 18(3), pages 1-21, July.
    20. Klaus Gründler & Niklas Potrafke, 2023. "Population Aging, Retirement, and Aggregate Productivity," CESifo Working Paper Series 10594, CESifo.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joecag:v:31:y:2025:i:c:s2212828x25000313. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-journal-of-the-economics-of-ageing .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.