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This paper studies the determinants of disability retirement and unemployment of older workers, two labor market phenomena which the German public discussion combines under the label of early retirement. A social policy issue attracting much attention in German public debate is the reform of the retirement system. This reform is required because the current utilization of early retirement will not be affordable in future years. Both disability retirement and early retirement after unemployment are very common among older workers in Germany. During the 1980s more than half of all new retirees were disability retirees. The article shows the fractions of male cohorts that were either employed, unemployed or already in disability retirement by 1991. Out of all men aged 58 in 1991 about 18.3% had already retired due to disability and about 7% were unemployed. The public discussion indiscriminately combines disability retirement and `early retirement after long-term unemployment under the label of early retirement. Additionally, the high correlation between the two forms of labor force exit is confirmed by social scientists. This study tests the hypothesis that disability retirement and retirement after unemployment are substitute mechanisms for older workers to exit the labor force before reaching retirement age and compares the determinants of transitions into the two states.