Are Older Workers Willing to Learn?

Jens Ruhose (), Stephan Thomsen and Insa Weilage ()
Additional contact information
Insa Weilage: Leibniz University of Hannover

No 13416, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Adult education can mitigate the productivity decline in aging societies if older workers are willing to learn. We examine a generous partial retirement reform in Germany that led to a massive increase in early retirement. Using county-level administrative data on voluntary education activities, we employ a difference-in-differences approach for identification. The estimates show a strong increase in participation in adult education, specifically in cognitively demanding courses, for early retirees who would have continued working in the absence of the reform. This supports the notion of an intrinsic willingness of older individuals to acquire skills and abilities independent of financial incentives.

Keywords: adult education; older workers; early retirement; partial retirement; generalized difference-in-differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J14 J24 J26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 55 pages
Date: 2020-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age and nep-lma
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published - revised version published as 'No mental retirement: estimating voluntary adult education activities of older workers' in: Education Economics , 2023, 32 (4), 440–473.

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Related works:
Working Paper: Are Older Workers Willing to Learn? (2020)
Working Paper: Are Older Workers Willing to Learn? (2020)
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