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Working Hours Flexibility and Older Workers' Labor Supply

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  • Gielen, Anne C.

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

Abstract

This paper studies the presence of hours constraints on the UK labor market and its effect on older workers labor supply, both at the extensive and the intensive margin. Using panel data for the period 1991-2004, the results from a competing risks model show that over-employed male workers can freely reduce working hours with their current employer before retiring completely. However, some over-employed women are observed to leave the labor market early due to hours constraints. Despite the fact that more flexibility in hours may increase labor market participation of older women, this paper presents some explorative results which illustrate that increasing working hours flexibility does not seem to increase older workers total labor supply as has often been suggested.

Suggested Citation

  • Gielen, Anne C., 2007. "Working Hours Flexibility and Older Workers' Labor Supply," IZA Discussion Papers 2946, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2946
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    Cited by:

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    3. Michael C. Knaus & Steffen Otterbach, 2019. "Work Hour Mismatch And Job Mobility: Adjustment Channels And Resolution Rates," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(1), pages 227-242, January.
    4. C Machado & Miguel Portela, 2014. "Hours of work and retirement behaviour," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-22, December.
    5. Fouarge, D. & Baaijens, F P., 2009. "Job mobility and hours of work: the effect of Dutch legislation," ROA Research Memorandum 004, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    6. Julie Byrne & Rowena A. Pecchenino, 2019. "Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho: flexible labor contracts with real option characteristics," Business Economics, Palgrave Macmillan;National Association for Business Economics, vol. 54(1), pages 25-34, January.
    7. Stephan Humpert & Christian Pfeifer, 2013. "Explaining age and gender differences in employment rates: a labor supply-side perspective [Eine Erklärung alters- und geschlechtsspezifischer Unterschiede in den Beschäftigungsquoten: Die Sicht de," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 46(1), pages 1-17, March.
    8. Elsayed, Ahmed & de Grip, Andries & Fouarge, Didier & Montizaan, Raymond, 2018. "Gradual retirement, financial incentives, and labour supply of older workers: Evidence from a stated preference analysis," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 277-294.
    9. Muriel Dejemeppe & Catherine Smith & Bruno der Linden, 2015. "Did the Intergenerational Solidarity Pact increase the employment rate of older workers in Belgium? A macro-econometric evaluation," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-23, December.
    10. Graf, Nikolaus & Hofer, Helmut & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 2011. "Labor supply effects of a subsidized old-age part-time scheme in Austria," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 44(3), pages 217-229.
    11. Börsch-Supan, Axel & Härtl, Klaus & Leite, Duarte N., 2018. "Earnings test, non-actuarial adjustments and flexible retirement," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 78-83.
    12. Boockmann, Bernhard & Fries, Jan & Göbel, Christian, 2018. "Specific measures for older employees and late career employment," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 159-174.
    13. Maciej Albinowski, 2023. "Part-time Employment Opportunities and Labour Supply of Older Workers," IBS Working Papers 07/2023, Instytut Badan Strukturalnych.
    14. Hans FEHR, 2010. "Pension Reform with Variable Retirment Age," EcoMod2010 259600055, EcoMod.
    15. Kanabar, Ricky, 2015. "Post-retirement labour supply in England," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 6(C), pages 123-132.
    16. Börsch-Supan, A. & Härtl, K. & Leite, D.N., 2016. "Social Security and Public Insurance," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 781-863, Elsevier.
    17. Andrea Albanese & Bart Cockx & Yannick Thuy, 2020. "Working time reductions at the end of the career: Do they prolong the time spent in employment?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 99-141, July.
    18. Bell, David N.F. & Rutherford, Alasdair C., 2013. "Older workers and working time," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 1, pages 28-34.
    19. Rutten, Albert & van Vuuren, Daniël & Knoef, Marike, 2022. "Employment Effects of Incentivized Gradual Retirement Plans," Other publications TiSEM 37eba9e7-b6ff-4f31-9c42-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    20. İsmail ŞENTÜRK, 2020. "Desired Labour Supply of the Unemployed in Turkey," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society.
    21. Taehyun Ahn, 2022. "Workweek reduction and women's job turnover: Evidence from labor legislation in South Korea," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(4), pages 1607-1625, October.
    22. Kevin E. Cahill & Michael D. Giandrea & Joseph F. Quinn, 2014. "The Impact of Hours Flexibility on Career Employment, Bridge Jobs, and the Timing of Retirement," Economic Working Papers 472, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    23. Rowena A Pecchenino & Julie Byrne, 2017. "Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho:The Way We (Would Like to) Work Now," Economics Department Working Paper Series n282-17.pdf, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
    24. Miranti, Riyana & Li, Jinjing, 2020. "Working hours mismatch, job strain and mental health among mature age workers in Australia," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 15(C).
    25. Sergi Jiménez Martín & Judit Vall Castello, 2009. "Business Cycle Effects on Labour Force Transitions for Older People in Spain," Working Papers 2009-25, FEDEA.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    mobility; hours constraint; labor supply; retirement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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