Employed and Happy despite Weak Health? Labour Market Participation and Job Quality of Older Workers with Disabilities

Catherine Pollak

No DT45, Working Papers from IRDES institut for research and information in health economics

Abstract: European countries with high senior employment rates have the highest levels of job satisfaction despite an older and more physically limited workforce. In this paper, we argue that this paradox can be explained by heterogeneous levels of job quality: better working conditions may enable older workers with disabilities to remain satisfied and employed. Using panel data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we find that health status, job satisfaction, but also working conditions, are major individual determinants of early labour market exits. We also show that high intrinsic and extrinsic rewards can mitigate the selective effects of disability. Finally,the comparative analysis reveals that older workers with disabilities are more likely to be employed in countries where they receive higher rewards. The findings therefore indicate that improved job quality is a major factor of successful active ageing strategies.

Keywords: Job satisfaction; Working conditions; Occupational health; Ageing labour supply (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I19 J22 J28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 46 pages
Date: 2012-03, Revised 2012-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-eur, nep-hea, nep-hrm, nep-lab and nep-lma
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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