Gender differences in work expectations and psychological distress: insights from the United States and South Korea

ObjectivesOver the past 50 years, the roles of women, particularly those from the “Baby Boom” cohort, have shifted from primarily domestic responsibilities to active participation in the labor force. Moreover, differences in gender norms and sociocultural contexts across countries influence women’s labor force participation. This study examined gender differences in the association between work expectations and psychological distress among Baby Boomers in the United States (1946–1964) and South Korea (1955–1963).MethodsData came from the 2006–2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 14,005) and the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (n = 2,362). Perceived expectations of working in the next 5 years were reported on a probability scale (0–100%). Psychological distress was assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multivariate mixed-effects logistic regressions were used to examine the longitudinal association between work expectations and psychological distress for men and women.ResultsIn both countries, women had higher CES-D scores and lower expectations of working in the next 5 years than men. Higher work expectations were robustly associated with lower odds of psychological distress among both men and women in Korea; however, this inverse association was more modest in the United States. The association between expectations and distress was stronger among Korean men (ORmen = 0.83 [0.79, 0.87]) compared to Korean women (ORwomen = 0.89 [0.84, 0.94]); there were no gender differences among U.S. respondents (ORmen = 0.98 [0.94, 1.02]; ORwomen = 0.98 [0.96, 1.00]).DiscussionFindings highlight the complex interplay between biological sex and social contexts in shaping expectations regarding work in later life.