An increasing life expectancy necessitates prolonged workforce participation. However, motivations for post-retirement employment vary. Financially secure retirees may work for personal fulfilment, social engagement, and societal relevance. Conversely, those with a lower socioeconomic status often undertake bridge jobs to mitigate poverty risk. The increasing vulnerability to poverty among older individuals further incentivizes prolonged employment. In Lithuania, the proportion of employed old-age pension recipients has remained relatively stable (12% in 2018 and 13% in 2024). Previous research (Zitikytė 2019) identified factors influencing bridge employment: a longer retirement record, higher pre-retirement wages, and residence in urban areas positively correlated with continued employment. In contrast, higher sickness rates, greater pension benefits, and prior unemployment benefits discouraged such employment. However, sectoral differences remain underexplored.
This paper examines how employment in various economic sectors influences post-retirement labor participation. By using unique administrative data from Lithuania, it investigates sector-specific employment patterns. This study hypothesizes that individuals retiring from high-skilled or public sector occupations are more likely to remain active in the labor force after retirement, while those from manufacturing, trade, and transport sectors are more likely to exit the labor market upon reaching the statutory retirement age.
Binary probability models assess the likelihood of post-retirement employment across sectors. The findings elucidate sectoral variations in workforce retention among older individuals. These insights inform targeted policy strategies to enhance employment opportunities for retirees, thereby addressing demographic and economic challenges associated with an aging workforce.
Aidukaitė, J., Blažienė, I. (2021). Longer working lives – What do they mean in practice – A case of the Baltic countries. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 42(5/6), 526–542. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-02-2021-0049
Aliaj, A., Flawinne, X., Jousten, A., Perelman, S., & Shi, L. (2016). Old-age employment and hours of work trends: empirical analysis for four European countries. IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, 5(1), Article 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40174-016-0066-1
Atchley, R. C. (1989). A continuity theory of normal aging. The Gerontologist, 29(2), 183–190. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/29.2.183
Buckley, J., O’Dwyer, L., Tucker, G., Adams, R., Wittert, G., & Hugo, G. (2013). Are baby‐boomers healthy enough to keep working? Health as a mediator of extended labour force participation. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 48(2), 197–221. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1839-4655.2013.tb00278.x
Bussolo, M., Koettl, J., & Sinnott, E. (2015). Golden aging: Prospects for healthy, active, and prosperous aging in Europe and Central Asia. The World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0353-6
Cahill, K. E., Giandrea, M. D., & Quinn, J. F. (2006). Retirement patterns from career employment. The Gerontologist, 46(4), 514–523. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/46.4.514
Damman, M., & Henkens, K. (2015). Postretirement work role residuals: The role of prior work in the lives of fully retired individuals (Netspar Discussion Paper No. 04/2015-047). SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2710700
De Wind, A., Geuskens, G. A., Reeuwijk, K. G., Westerman, M. J., Ybema, J. F., Burdorf, A., Bongers, P. M., & Van Der Beek, A. J. (2013). Pathways through which health influences early retirement: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 13(1), Article 292. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-292
Dingemans, E., Henkens, K., & Solinge, H. (2016). Working beyond retirement in Europe: An investigation of individual and societal determinants using SHARE (Netspar Discussion Paper No. 06/2016-022). SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2796625
Dingemans, E., & Henkens, K. (2019). Working after retirement and life satisfaction: Cross-national comparative research in Europe. Research on Aging, 41(7), 648–669. https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027519830610
Frieze, I. H., Olson, J. E., & Murrell, A. J. (2011). Working beyond 65: Predictors of late retirement for women and men MBAs. Journal of Women & Aging, 23(1), 40–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2011.540485
Hult, C. (2008). Gender, culture and non-financial employment commitment in Great Britain and Sweden. European Societies, 10(1), 73–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616690701592573
Kim, S., & Feldman, D. C. (2000). Working in retirement: The antecedents of bridge employment and its consequences for quality of life in retirement. Academy of Management Journal, 43(6), 1195–1210. https://doi.org/10.2307/1556345
Kolesnik, J., Juškelienė, V. (2022). Vyresnio amžiaus darbuotojų sveikatos ir profesinės rizikos ypatumai: įmonių atstovų ir vyresnių darbuotojų požiūris. Visuomenės sveikata, 2(97), 56–64.
Komp, K., Tilburg, T. V., & Groenou, M. B. V. (2010). Paid work between age 60 and 70 years in Europe. International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 5(1), 45–75. https://doi.org/10.3384/ijal.1652-8670.105145
Kong, W., Ren, M., Li, Y., & Feng, D. (2022). Predictors of delayed retirement intention in older Chinese workers. Labour, 36(4), 505–524. https://doi.org/10.1111/labr.12233
Lindemann, K., & Unt, M. (2016). Trapped in ‘involuntary’ work in the late career? Retirement expectations versus the ‘desire to retire’ in estonia. Studies of Transition States and Societies, 8(3), 60–77. https://doi.org/10.58036/STSS.V8I3.237
Maestas, N., & Zissimopoulos, J. (2010). How longer work lives ease the crunch of population aging. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(1), 139–160. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.24.1.139
Navickė, J., Straševičiūtė, Ž. (2023). Vyresnio amžiaus asmenų „išlikimas“ darbo rinkoje: Lietuvos situacija ES kontekste. Socialinė Teorija, Empirija, Politika Ir Praktika, 27, 121–136. https://doi.org/10.15388/STEPP.2023.27.7
Pleau, R. L. (2010). Gender differences in postretirement employment. Research on Aging, 32(3), 267–303. https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027509357706
Sándor, E. (2011). European company survey 2009: Part-time work in Europe. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2806/116
Sarfati, H. (2008). Live longer, work longer – ageing and employment policies. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 14(3), 515–519. https://doi.org/10.1177/102425890801400320
Shacklock, K., Brunetto, Y., & Nelson, S. (2009). The different variables that affect older males’ and females’ intentions to continue working. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 47(1), 79–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1038411108099291
Vanajan, A., Bültmann, U., & Henkens, K. (2022). How do newly diagnosed chronic health conditions affect older workers’ vitality and worries about functional ability? Journal of Applied Gerontology, 41(12), 2426–2434. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648221118355
Vilkoitytė, V., Skučienė, D. (2020). Elderly attitudes on the continuity of working careers. Socialinė Teorija, Empirija, Politika Ir Praktika, 20, 22–39. https://doi.org/10.15388/STEPP.2020.16
Wind, A. D., Burr, H., Pohrt, A., Hasselhorn, H. M., Van Der Beek, A. J., & Rugulies, R. (2017). The association of health and voluntary early retirement pension and the modifying effect of quality of supervision: Results from a Danish register-based follow-up study. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 45(5), 468–475. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494817699998
Zaccagni, S., Sigsgaard, A. M., Vrangbaek, K., & Noermark, L. P. (2024). Who continues to work after retirement age? BMC Public Health, 24(1), Article 692. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18161-1
Zitikytė, K. (2020). To work or not to work: Factors affecting bridge employment beyond retirement, the case of Lithuania. Ekonomika, 98(2), 33–54. https://doi.org/10.15388/Ekon.2019.2.3
Zitikytė, K. (2021). Labor market participation of older workers in Lithuania: factors affecting employment in old age [Doctoral dissertation, Vilnius University, Vilnius]. https://doi.org/10.15388/vu.thesis.229
Zitikytė, K. (2022). The initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older workers in Lithuania. Ekonomika, 101(2), 53–69. https://doi.org/10.15388/Ekon.2022.101.2.4
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.