Older Adults: International Differences in Housework and Leisure

Population aging, longer life expectancy, and earlier retirement ages have heightened interest in patterns and determinants of active aging. Ample research documents both the declining labor force participation of older adults across Western industrialized countries and cross-national variation in levels and hours of employment, legal retirement ages, and pension policies. Yet, little is known about national differences in other types of time use between employed and nonemployed adults beyond midlife. Understanding the association of employment with socially productive and caring labor is important because of the benefits these activities have for psychological and cognitive well-being. The issue is vital for societies, as well, because assumptions about how employment affects non-work time are embedded in broad policy efforts to reverse patterns of early retirement.

Link: Older Adults: International Differences in Housework and Leisure (PDF)