This paper analyzes a puzzling aspect of retirement behavior known as "unretirement." Nearly 50 percent of retirees follow a nontraditional retirement path that involves partial retirement or unretirement, and at least 26 percent of retirees later unretire. I explore two possible explanations: (1) unretirement transitions result from failures in…

Understanding the antecedents to retirement and bridge employment is important to older-aged adults who seek ways to smoothly transition to full retirement, and to organizations that benefit from retaining their highly skilled and most experienced workers, especially in occupations for which labor shortages are projected. We tested the effects of…

The results of more than two-and-one-half years of study by the United States Department of Labor on the effects of the Age Discrimination in Employment Amendments on older workers' retirement plans indicate that removing employment obstacles facing older workers will increase labor force participation rates and, in turn, help refinance the Social…

Older workers face many obstacles to working after age 65. This situation is causing significant problems for the social security system. In light of previous findings that many older workers prefer part-time employment, an intensive study was conducted of the policies of one company and its employees' attitudes. Participants expected to retire at…

Survey responses from 17 of 18 employed and 54 of 65 retired college professors aged 70-74 showed that the employed were less likely to be married and have children/grandchildren and more strongly oriented to their professional role. Retirees wanted to pursue other interests or had workplace concerns. Both groups had high life satisfaction.…

A study was conducted in Hawaii to determine the status of elderly persons in regard to employment, as well as attitudes toward employment of the elderly, defined in this study as aged 55 and over. Elderly persons aged 65 and over are the fastest growing segment of Hawaii's population, projected to increase from 73,700 in 1980 to 141,000 in 2000.…

The labor force participation of older workers may surpass recent projections due to reductions in retirement benefits and labor shortages. However, employers' attitudes about hiring older workers have not changed enough. (Contains 24 references.) (SK)

A Labor Department task force examined issues relating to the United States' maturing labor force and outlines policy alternatives to address those issues. Major findings were summarized in three categories: (1) in tomorrow's work force, the median age of workers will be higher; older people will be healthier, live longer, and be available for…

This 1979 study sought to explore the potential for semi-retirement of University of Washington staff ages fifty-six and over and persons retired from the University during the prior five years. The study focused on the attitudes, interests and work-related characteristics, and behavior of workers as they approach the transition to retirement.…

Flexible retirement policies have worked very well for four major United States corporations, accordinq to testimony of their executives during the second part of a U.S. Senate hearing on work after age 65, conducted in Washington, D.C., in May, 1980. Executives of Xerox, Polaroid, Bankers Life and Casualty, and Atlantic Richfield told the special…

The authors present a qualitative study that explored the transition experiences of older workers who retired from long-term careers and who were working in bridge jobs (i.e., transitional work between career employment and retirement). Using grounded theory methodology, the authors interviewed 24 older workers to learn why they decided to pursue…

This publication contains proceedings of a pre-White House Conference on Aging Activity held in May, 1980. The meeting was designed to (1) provide a labor/management forum for review and discussion of problems and issues arising out of a progressively aging population and workforce; (2) explore practical matters which can be resolved by employers…

The problem of senior citizens in Florida who need to work are chronicled in this third part of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Work after 65 hearings, conducted in Orlando, Florida, in July, 1980. During the Florida hearing, representatives of various government programs for senior citizens, professors of education and economics and…

The population of the United States is aging and will age even more rapidly in the coming years. Yet our public and private retirement and benefits policies continue to favor early retirement--in spite of clear demographic trends, in spite of legislation raising the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 70, in spite of the fact that many of our…

Many older workers want to continue working on a part-time basis after "retirement." The authors highlight the findings of a survey of 1,200 workers age 50 and over employed at a large high-technology company. (Author)