Uncertain Futures: Managing Late Career Transitions and Extended Working Life

Transitions from work to retirement have undergone radical transformation over the past few decades. The project aims to contribute to knowledge about the processes and factors which exert influence on working in later life. The research objectives: mapping existing and emerging late-career transitions using existing longitudinal data sets (ELSA, NCDS and HRS) identifying risk and protective factors affecting individuals during the transition from work to retirement conducting case studies to understand the way in which processes associated with extended working life are negotiated within the workplace synthesising findings from quantitative and qualitative data to produce new theoretical models about the changing character of late-career transitions. The research questions: What evidence can be found for new late career transitions developing in England? How do these compare with those found in the USA? How do life course factors influence these late career transitions? How is the idea of extended working life being constructed within the workplace? What is the impact of late-career transitions on work place practices, re-training, human resources and occupational health policies? A multi-disciplinary consortium of researchers from seven Universities, the Institute of Occupational Medicine and the International Longevity Centre UK will undertake the research.