The Employability Process of Spanish Retired Elite Athletes: Gender and Sport Success Comparison

Cristina López de Subijana, Javier Ramos, Carlos Garcia and Jose L. Chamorro
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Cristina López de Subijana: Social Sciences Applied to Sport, Physical Activity and Leisure Department, Faculty of Sport Sciences-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Javier Ramos: Social Sciences Applied to Sport, Physical Activity and Leisure Department, Faculty of Sport Sciences-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Carlos Garcia: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28670 Madrid, Spain
Jose L. Chamorro: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28670 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-12

Abstract: The aims of the study were: (i) to describe the work integration after retirement in elite athletes, (ii) to compare the working integration of women and men, and Olympic and non-Olympic athletes, and (iii) to specify the factors that affect their employment status and current monthly income. A total of 476 former elite athletes were surveyed. Non-parametric statistics were applied to compare the differences between groups and a classification tree analysis was performed for the dependent variables. The former elite athlete’s unemployment rate was better than the general population. At the gender comparison, a wage gap appeared between women and men. At the comparison between Olympic and non-Olympic athletes, the link to first employment differed in both groups. In the prediction models, finishing higher education arose as a key factor of the working status and the monthly salary. Among those without higher education studies, planning arose as a factor determining their salary, while among those with high qualifications, gender was the key factor. This study supports the importance of a holistic view of athletic career development and it offers practical insights into the process of reaching first employment after retirement.

Keywords: transitions; retirement; elite athletes; employment; gender; sport success (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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