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The literature suggests that two distinct competencies [i.e., information technology ability (ITA), and internet self-efficacy] are necessary for the effective use of information technologies for successful ageing, but no study has examined the association of these skills on successful ageing and its domains (i.e., illness avoidance, functioning, and engagement with life). This study investigated whether Internet Self-Efficacy (ISE) moderates the potential association of ITA with successful ageing. The study adopted a cross-sectional design based on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist and includes measures against confounding and common methods bias. The participants were 1186 older workers aged 50 years or older in three African countries (Kenya = 350; Nigeria = 260; Ghana = 576). The minimum sample size necessary was calculated, and data were analysed with hierarchical linear regression analysis. After controlling for the covariates, ITA and ISE had a positive association with successful ageing as well as illness avoidance, functioning, and engagement with life in the whole sample. ITA was also positively associated with successful ageing and its domains in Kenya and Ghana. The associations of ITA with successful ageing and its domains were positively moderated by ISE in the whole sample and within each of the three samples. Higher ITA can be associated with successful ageing among working older adults, and ITA positively influences successful ageing at different levels of ISE. Older adults with high ITA are more likely to avoid illness at a higher ISE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a U.S.-based job-training program that serves unemployed workers aged 55 and older with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. While federal funds are set aside to serve Asian workers in SCSEP, little is known about their characteristics and experiences. In response, this pilot study aimed to document the health, well-being, and experiences of older Asian SCSEP participants in Massachusetts through the completion of a survey. Respondents (N = 39) ranged in age from 58 to 73 and identified as either Chinese (72%) or Vietnamese (28%). All were immigrants, and almost all spoke a language other than English at home. Most reported "good" health as well as financial difficulties. They also stated that their supervisors in their placements were supportive. On average, respondents noted moderate interest in searching for a paid job after exiting SCSEP, although more reported interest in searching for a volunteer role. Key to the success of this study was a robust collaboration with a local human services organization with strong ties to the Chinese and Vietnamese communities. The findings highlight the importance of this growing group of older workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Multimorbidity, known as multiple chronic conditions (MCC), is the coexistence of two or more chronic health conditions (CHC). The near-retirement-age population with MCC is more likely to experience discontinued labor force participation (LFP). Our objective was to evaluate the impact of MCC on LFP among adults aged 50–64 and to explore heterogeneous effects between self-employed and non-self-employed workers. Methods We constructed our sample using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from 1996 to 2018. We adopted an individual fixed-effect (F.E.) model and propensity score matching (PSM) to measure the impact of MCC on the probability of being employed and changes in annual work hours. Results 50.5% of respondents have MCC. Individuals with MCC exhibit a predicted probability of being employed that is 9.3 percentage points (p  < .01, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: −0.109, −0.078) lower than those without MCC. Compared with non-CHC, MCC significantly reduced annual working hours by 6.1% (p  < .01, 95% CI: −0.091, −0.036) in the F.E. model and by 4.9% (p  < .01, 95% CI: −0.064, −0.033) in PSM estimation. The effect is more pronounced for the self-employed with MCC, who have 13.0% (p  < .05, 95% CI: −0.233, −0.026) fewer annual work hours than non-CHC based on the FE model and 13.4% (p  < .01, 95% CI: −0.197, −0.070) in PSM estimation. Discussion MCC significantly reduces LFP compared with non-MCC. MCC has a heterogeneous impact across occupational types. It is important to support the near-retirement-age working population with multimorbidity through effective clinical interventions and workplace wellness policies to help manage health conditions and remain active in the labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Selection, optimisation, and compensation (SOC) can be important strategies for maintaining work ability as we age. This study aimed to explore differences in self-reported individual and collective use of SOC strategies across job functions, as well as their association with self-rated work ability. Methods: In the third wave of the SeniorWorkingLife study, 10,798 workers aged 50 + , across the job function categories "Office work", "work with people", and "work in the field of production", replied to questions about collective and individual SOC strategies and work ability. Using multiple regression, we modelled associations between SOC and work ability. Results: Associations between SOC and work ability were generally weaker among participants working in the field of production. Both individual and collective use of selection had much weaker associations with work ability in the job functions "office work" and "working with people". In the job function "working in the field of production", only collective compensation was positively associated with work ability while individual selection was significantly but negatively associated with work ability. Conclusions: The use of SOC may be particularly beneficial for older employees working with people. Optimisation and compensation may be the most important SOC strategies for maintaining the work ability of older employees working with people and doing office work. For older employees working in the field of production, collective optimisation may support the maintenance of work ability while reduced work ability may be associated with the use of individual selection as a "coping strategy". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging workers with their work is fundamental for employee wellbeing and performance. Perceived age discrimination in the workplace is a factor that may influence workers' engagement. The present study aimed to analyze the moderating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between perceived age discrimination and work engagement. Survey data were collected from a sample of 453 Portuguese workers of various age groups, between 18 and 65 years-old. Four instruments were used in this study: (a) a sociodemographic questionnaire; (b) the Workplace Age Discrimination Scale (WADS); (c) the Emotion Regulation Scale and (d) the reduced version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Results show that perceived workplace age discrimination negatively impacts work engagement. Further, results suggest that emotional regulation exacerbates the negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and work engagement. The progressively aging workforce is creating challenging issues to organizations, from a human resource management perspective. Age management strategies to address perceived age discrimination and work engagement are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivating older employees both to prolong their working lives and to stay active even after retirement has become increasingly important due to rising old-age dependency ratios. Later life work—including both paid work and volunteering—has thus become an important topic for scholars and practitioners. We aim to extend research on later life work by hypothesizing that psychological empowerment at work increases not only desired and actual retirement ages but also levels of later life work. Second, we test differential effects of psychological empowerment on later life work, expecting it to be more strongly related to paid work after retirement (i.e., bridge employment) than to volunteering. Third, we suggest that the relationship between psychological empowerment and bridge employment depends on the employees' level of physical limitations. We used data from a longitudinal panel study in Germany in which structured telephone interviews were conducted. A sample of older individuals who had retired between two waves of measurement was drawn (time lag: three years; n = 210). The results of a path analysis support the postulated mediation. Furthermore, as expected, psychological empowerment more accurately predicted bridge employment than volunteering, and physical limitations moderated the relationship between psychological empowerment and bridge employment. Lastly, additional analyses on the individual empowerment facets revealed that only the competence facet played a significant role in the proposed hypotheses. Overall, our findings suggest that psychological empowerment may help to increase older employees' motivation to delay retirement and to stay active even after retirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the ageing workforce, late‐career development implies ongoing decisions during retirement regarding one's engagement in volunteering and bridge employment activities. While prior research has emphasized the role of the meaning of work in retirement decisions, it has not examined the roles that meaning in life and identity play in decisions made during retirement. Relying on the existential framework on meaning and career decision‐making, this article explores the role of social identities as retirees and as workers as critical self‐concept dimensions that may mediate the impact of meaning in life (search and presence) on their decisions to pursue bridge employment and to volunteer in retirement. Using an archival survey study relying on a time‐lagged design with a one‐year interval among 204 retirees, we found that retirees demonstrating a greater search for meaning in life exhibited positive identification with the worker social identity but negative identification with the retiree social identity. Additionally, worker social identity was positively associated with bridge employment; however, retiree social identity was negatively associated with bridge employment and positively with volunteering. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult education may keep older workers productive if they voluntarily engage in learning. Examining a generous partial retirement reform in Germany that encouraged early retirement among male workers, we estimate voluntary adult education activities for early retirees. Using county-level administrative data on all public adult education centers (Volkshochschulen; VHS), we employ a difference-in-differences approach exploiting the predetermined county-specific age structure of men for identification. The results show a strong increase in participation in adult education, specifically in cognitively demanding courses. This supports an intrinsic willingness of older workers to acquire skills and abilities independent of financial incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article identifies the key challenges that the German labour market will face in the future. We discuss a number of approaches for successfully meeting these challenges, i.e. increasing mobility, agility, digitisation at the work place and the further flexibilisation of working conditions to allow people with care duties and older workers to remain available to the labour market for longer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social participation is an effective way to reduce loneliness among older adults. However, little is known about Black older adults' (BOAs') poor participation in social programs. This study thus explores the varied factors that shape BOAs' participation in social programs and services and how lack of social participation contributes to loneliness. 13 BOAs with mean age of 63.8 participated in this narrative study. Misrepresentation of BOAs in social programs and services, lack of opportunity for employment engagement, affordability and accessibility were key themes. These findings highlight the need for integration of strategies to increase cultural diversity in programs in Ontario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to ensure the economic wellbeing and quality of life of those who reach the official retirement age is a matter of concern in the world of social services and in social policy making. Since some working older adults may be forced to retire when they reach the official retirement age while others retire voluntarily, the study is based on a dedicated survey among 508 persons who retired both willingly and unwillingly for good after reaching the official retirement age and 437 persons who continued working uninterruptedly. The findings show that the odds of staying on the job after retirement age are contingent on the socio-demographic and health-related characteristics of the older adult. Furthermore, the economic predictors of remaining in the labour force after retirement age depend on how strongly the older adult wishes to retire. Those who continue working after retirement age and those who retire willingly are undifferentiated in the level of financial support that they give others. Comparing older adults who continue working uninterruptedly with those who retire unwillingly, the chances of being among the former are higher among those who are better off before reaching retirement age. These results emphasise the need to extend welfare and financial-support policies to older adults who are forced to retire, in order to minimise the economic blow that this path to retirement causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older workers represent a growing proportion of the child welfare workforce. Yet little research examines employment outcomes of this population. This study used data from the first two waves of the Florida Study of Professionals for Safe Families, a longitudinal study of 1,500 newly hired child welfare workers. Workers 50 and older had lower odds of job retention compared to younger adults. However, older workers reported less burnout and secondary traumatic stress than younger counterparts. Older workers resilience to burnout and trauma may contribute to positive long-term employment outcomes if agencies retain older workers during early employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore the situations and socio-economic and health-related factors associated with employment of older men and women in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach: This study used the nationally representative data in 2019 with a sample size of 3,049 older persons (those aged 60 and over). This study applied logistic regression analyses. Findings: This study found that there were significant differences in employment rates between various groups of older men and women in terms of age group, residential place, marital status and educational level. Controlling for age, education, marital status, place of residence and (in) sufficient income for daily living, the results from logistic models indicated that health issues were strongly associated with lower probability to be employed for both genders. In all tests and regression models, that age and health condition were consistently related with lower employment probability of older persons implied an important consideration in raising normal retirement ages for both men and women. Research limitations/implications: Due to limitation of the cross-sectional data, this research could not explore how health influences older people's employment overtime. Practical implications: Findings of this research provide important and adaptive policy insights for Vietnam to take advantage of older workers for economic growth under an aging population. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this has been among the first studies exploring the role of health, which was presented by different indicators, determining employment of older men and women in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the employment rate of individuals aged 55+ is a key challenge in many OECD countries. While labor market discrimination and policy measures have been put forward as possible explanations, the role of job search remains largely unexplored. Yet, it determines to a large extent the match between supply and demand on the labor market. In this paper, we examine age-related differences in job search behavior. As skills have often become outdated for older workers, but job mobility may enhance their employment, we analyze search behavior for the unemployed as well as the employed adopting multiple parameters: job search intensity, use of the public employment agency, and social networking. The results indicate that jobseekers of different age employ different search methods, and that this relationship should be analyzed within the employment context of the jobseeker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aging of the global workforce, it is crucial to deepen our understanding of how to keep older workers healthy, motivated, and productive. In this research, we integrate job design with socioemotional selectivity theory to propose that social job characteristics relate to employee performance differently for older and younger workers. Specifically, in a 3-wave survey (N = 454), we tested employee age as a moderator of the relationships between receiving social support and feedback at work, and performance, as well as giving social support and feedback at work, and performance. The results showed that, in general, both receiving and giving social support and feedback are associated more strongly with the performance of older than younger workers. The findings provide important theoretical implications for the study of aging and work; they also offer practical applications for creating workplaces in which older workers can reap the benefits of social relationships to remain productive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies regarding retirement planning have suggested that demographic variables, retirement-related characteristics, and work-related factors are closely associated with retirement planning. However, the importance of individual goal-pursuit tendencies within a multi-dimensional framework of retirement planning has been overlooked. As retirement planning is conceptualized as a multi-faceted and goal-directed behavior, the absence of these concepts within the literature presents an important theoretical and empirical gap. Drawing upon the dual-process model of coping, the current study examined the incremental effects of tenacious goal pursuit (TGP) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA) on four dimensions of retirement planning (i.e. financial planning, health planning, interpersonal/leisure planning, and work planning). Data from 377 Chinese older workers at two time points showed that FGA rather than TGP was positively associated with financial, health, and interpersonal/leisure planning. Further, FGA demonstrated incremental predictive validity over TGP. This study contributes to the retirement planning literature by investigating how older adults' goal-related dispositions may impact their retirement planning in different arenas. Practical implications of our findings, limitations, and future research directions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successfully adjusting to retirement, in terms of achieving psychological comfort with one's retirement life, represents a major challenge for older workers. Although current literature emphasizes that it may depend on the availability and fluctuation of specific resources, little is known about which types and how resources allow recent retirees to adjust to retirement. Drawing on the resource‐based dynamic model for retirement adjustment and conservation of resources theory, the current study aims to elaborate theory on resources' types, relative importance and combinations in caravans, and the processes through which they shape successful retirement adjustment. In a consensual qualitative research using abductive reasoning with recent retirees aged 66–69, we find four major resource types. We show that their importance varies (from the most important to the least: social interactions, life conditions, time management and individuality) and that they travel in caravans within a resource type. We further propose a model highlighting how these resources shape successful retirement adjustment through resources signal, conservation and acquisition processes. Overall, our findings offer theoretical and empirical contributions to the resource perspective on retirement adjustment and to conservation of resources theory's understanding of resources' categorization, processes and caravans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing how employment impacts older adults, including their psychological well-being, we contribute to the study of this topic by examining the association between paid work in community-dwelling older adults and their depressive mood, while considering the extent of their financial pressure. Methods: The data are from the Kashiwa longitudinal cohort study, with a 2014 baseline and a 2016 follow-up. Of the 1308 participants in the 2014 survey, 781 people were included. We conducted binary logistic regression analyses stratified by economic status with regard to the extent of the financial pressure experienced. The independent variable of interest was paid work in 2014, and the dependent variable was the extent of depressive mood (a score of 5 or more on the Geriatric Depression Scale 15) in 2016. Results: Paid work was associated with lower odds of depressive mood among those under financial pressure (odds ratio [OR] 0.46, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.26, 0.81), whereas for those financially stable, we did not find an association between paid work and odds of depressive mood (OR 0.99, [95%CI] 0.26, 2.63). Discussion: We evidence that for older adults under financial pressure, employment supports the maintenance of their psychological well-being. We contribute to the literature by understanding when employment is beneficial for older adults, which is important in developing appropriate older adult employment social policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores whether relationship satisfaction among older individuals living with a partner is influenced by partners' status of working or being retired, and whether the degree of pooling money affects the association. Background: Couple's spending decisions are likely influenced by the partner with the greatest bargaining power, which may lead to different levels of relationship satisfaction. However, any role of partners' statuses on relationship satisfaction may change when adjusting for how partners organize resources. Method: The subsample consists of older respondents in the Swedish Gender and Generations Survey 2012–2013 (n = 1,737). The analytical approach is logistic regression where the outcome is whether the respondents are completely or not completely satisfied with their relationship. Results: Working respondents with a working partner were less satisfied with their relationship compared to retired respondents with a retired partner. In models considering the gender of whom is retired or working, respondents in couples with a working woman and a retired man were also less satisfied than retired respondents with a retired partner. However, this association disappears when adjusting for degree of pooling. Conclusion: In couples where the woman retires earlier than the man, it can have a negative impact on relationship satisfaction when the partners do not pool money. For couples with the same status, pooling seems to matter less. Implications: Financial educators, practitioners, and policymakers may acknowledge that retirement and working status of older partners play a role for relationship satisfaction, and how partners organize resources may be one area that provides a potential explanation for such problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an ageing population, comes an increase in our working lives, so the necessity to motivate and retain older workers becomes more pertinent. Lower turnover intentions and successful ageing at work have been linked to being proactive, but what drives this behaviour amongst older workers is less understood. This research explores the values and motives stimulating proactivity amongst working professionals aged 50–60 (seven males and seven females). Semi-structured interviews were analysed using template analysis. Understanding these motivational factors enables organisations to create conditions that promote proactive behaviour among older workers. The study identifies four distinct clusters that elucidate how proactivity is triggered among older workers. The findings indicate that both achievement motives and intrinsically driven proactivity were present among all participants. However, the value orientations that inform proactive endeavours diverged across the different clusters. Implications for theory and practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing relevance of business corporations to the lives of older persons, gerontology has given very little, if any, attention to this field. Further, it seems that both the conceptual and the empirical study of what we firstly term "corporate gerontology"—the rich and diverse ways that corporations interact with, influence, and are influenced by older persons and the aging of society—are quite rare. This systematic literature review was designed and executed to explore and present the current state of academic research in the multidisciplinary realm of aging and the business corporation. Of the 46 papers surveyed, the majority belong to the category in which aging is an independent variable that influences the performance of business corporations. Only 27% belong to the second category, which explores how the conduct of corporations can influence various aspects of aging. In light of the retreat of the welfare state and the rising neoliberal system, the lack of adequate governmental responses to aging has paved the way for profit-guided business corporations to enter the field. Their conduct should not be overlooked, and in establishing a new theoretical framework of corporate gerontology, we hope it will draw future research and public attention and raise awareness of this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: En este artículo se analiza la teoría de la cantidad fija de trabajo con datos empíricos de América Latina en un contexto de envejecimiento demográfico. Las estimaciones con un modelo de efectos fijos sobre un panel de datos anuales de hogares de 2002 a 2019 en 11 países no muestran un efecto de exclusión, sino una correlación positiva entre las tasas de ocupación de los adultos de edad avanzada y de los jóvenes, junto con una asociación positiva entre los ingresos laborales de ambos grupos. Se concluye que la expansión del empleo de la población de mayor edad mantiene el crecimiento económico, generando una demanda de trabajo que puede cubrirse con jóvenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To create environments conducive to the wellbeing of workers, especially older workers, it is important to gain insight into ageism among young workers as a distinct segment in the workplace. However, this ageism remains unclear. This study explored the psychosocial predictors of discrimination against older Japanese workers by their younger male counterparts. Four models – Intergroup Contact Theory (ICT), Knowledge–Attitude–Behaviour Model (KABM), Terror Management Theory (TMT) and Frustration–Aggression Theory (FAT) – formed the basis of the study. All the models included positive and negative dimensions of stereotypes as mediators between predictors and discrimination. Data from 874 participants were obtained through a voluntary web survey for employees aged 25–39 years who lived in the Tokyo metropolitan area. A scale describing interactions with older workers (supportive, uncomfortable and avoidance), Facts on Ageing quiz, fears of being an older worker and a job dissatisfaction survey were employed to examine the hypotheses based on the above theories. The results supported the hypotheses based on ICT and FAT but not KABM. Higher supportive contacts were significantly related to lower discrimination mediated by a higher positive and lower negative dimension of stereotypes. Contacts characterised by higher discomfort were significantly related to higher discrimination mediated by a lower positive and higher negative dimension of stereotypes. Higher job dissatisfaction was related to higher discrimination mediated by lower positive stereotypes. Interestingly, higher fear of being an older worker was significantly related to lower discrimination mediated by higher positive stereotypes, contrary to the TMT-based hypotheses. Thus, ICT and FAT regarding ageism can explain young male workers' discrimination against older workers in Japan, which differs culturally from Western countries. Furthermore, the results of the study suggest that boosting the quality of interactions as well as reducing bad interactions with older workers contribute to lower discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries have implemented policies to extend working lives in response to population ageing, yet there remains little understanding of what drives paid work in later life, nor how this is changing over time. This paper utilises the 1988/89 Survey of Retirement and Retirement Plans, the 1999 British Household Panel Survey and the 2008 English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, to investigate drivers of paid work in the ten years surrounding state pension age (SPA) for women and men in, comparing cohorts born in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Using optimal matching analysis with logistic and multinomial regression models, the study assesses the relative importance of lifecourse histories, socio-economic circumstances and contemporaneous factors, in determining paid work in mid- and later life. Participation in paid work in the five years preceding and beyond SPA increased markedly for men and women across cohorts, with women's lifecourses and engagement with paid work changing considerably in these periods. However, for women, a lifetime history of paid work remained a crucially important predictor of paid work in later life, and this relationship has strengthened over time. Experiencing divorce has also become an important driver of paid work around SPA for the youngest cohort. Having children later, and still having a mortgage, also independently predict labour force participation for women and men. Across all cohorts and for women and men, working at these older ages was a function of higher income and better health. These findings suggest that policies which enable people to maintain ties to paid work across the lifecourse may be more effective at encouraging later-life employment than those concerned only with postponing the retirement transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the strategic importance of fostering a multigenerational workforce to enhance the competitiveness of Singapore's manufacturing industry in the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Addressing common myths about age and technological adoption, our mixed-methods study reveals that the integration of the diverse strengths of an age-diverse workforce is not only beneficial but also necessary for innovation and sustainable growth. With Singapore's manufacturing workforce rapidly ageing and fresh talent dwindling, the industry faces challenges like knowledge transfer, automation, and the risk of skills dilution. We argue that a multigenerational approach that combines the expertise of older workers with the digital fluency of the younger generation can create a resilient talent pool essential for continuous expertise and complex problem-solving. The aim of this paper is thus to debunk several myths around an ageing workforce that currently stand in the way of fostering a multigenerational workforce in Singapore's manufacturing industry. We end the paper by arguing that such a workforce will become increasingly important for other industries as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We're living in the most age-diverse society in human history--and one of the most age-segregated. We're missing out on the complementary skills and talents people of all ages can bring to the table, the power and energy they can create, the divides they can bridge, the communities and country they can build together. Grounded in research and on-the-ground examples, this article envisions a world where older and younger people harness the power of cogeneration, joining forces to solve problems, bridge divides, and co-create the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are more older workers who are women and people of color in the American workforce than ever before. Advances in technology and medicine have allowed older workers to remain in the workforce longer, even as older workers continue to be challenged with chronic illness, mental distress (e.g., anxiety and depression), and fallout from COVID-19. In this article we discuss how understanding the various and interconnected ways in which our social identities enable or constrain our lives--also called using an intersectional lens--will help promote long, healthy, and productive lives for everyone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redshaw, AS, Carrick-Ranson, G, Bennett, H, Norton, KI, and Walker, A. Effect of aging on movement quality in Australian urban firefighters. J Strength Cond Res 37(11): e601-e608, 2023--Adequate levels of movement quality (MQ) are required to safely perform occupational tasks in physically demanding and hazardous professions such as firefighting. Although it is well established that MQ deteriorates with age in population studies, there is conflicting evidence in older tactical populations. This study sought to examine the relationship between age and MQ in Australian urban firefighters. The impact of physical activity, injury history, and body mass index on MQ were also explored. The MQ of 324 professional Australian urban firefighters was assessed using MovementSCREEN MQ assessment tool. Scores of whole-body MQ ranged from 35.3 to 82.6 (0-100 scale), with a mean score of 59.2 6 10.0. There was a moderate, negative association between MQ and age (r520.500; p # 0.001), with those older than 50 years of age having significantly lower scores of MQ than their younger counterparts (p # 0.001). Secondary analysis found that higher body mass index (r520.285; p # 0.001), lower habitual physical activity levels (r 5 0.165; p # 0.003), and the presence of any musculoskeletal injury in the previous 12 months (p 5 0.016) had significant negative effects on composite MQ. Firefighters older than 50, obese, and engaging in low levels of physical activity should be considered a high priority for functional strength training interventions to maintain adequate MQ throughout their careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study examines the association between workforce participation and mortality among Chinese older adults. Methods 6,138 participants aged 60 and older from the 2011 to 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were studied and 79.5% of the sample were rural Hukou. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for the associations of work status, work types, and changes in work status with all-cause mortality. Cox models with penalized splines were performed to explore the dose–response relationship for hours worked per week and mortality. Results 37,235.3 person-years observed 1,165 deaths (19.0%). Working reduced the mortality risk in older adults by 41% compared with those who did not work (HR: 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.50–0.69). This effect was consistent across subgroups. The mortality risk was lowest among self-employed older adults, followed by nonagricultural employment and then agricultural work, with adjusted HRs of (0.38, 0.21–0.70), (0.58, 0.36–0.93), and (0.61, 0.51–0.72), respectively. The mortality risk decreased with increasing hours of work per week and appeared to reach a threshold of about 45 hr of work per week. Compared with the older adults who continuously did not work, those who started and kept working had 28% (0.72, 0.53–0.97) and 48% (0.52, 0.41–0.65) lower mortality risks, respectively. When older adults transitioned from working to not working, the mortality risk would no longer be significantly different from that of older adults who were continuously not working (0.86, 0.65–1.12, p = 0.3). Discussion Workforce participation was associated with survival benefits among older adults in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the role of older assistant care workers in addressing the shortage of caregiving resources in Japan, particularly focusing on their mental health benefits. Through a nationwide survey, it was found that these workers perceive various benefits from their employment, including contributing to society, income generation, and health promotion.

The aging population in the developed world has implied increasing age diversity in the workforce of organizations. Consequently, mutual perceptions about one's coworkers and age discrimination are becoming increasingly important. This study aims to explore how perceptions about older workers' work (un)adaptability, work effectiveness, and workplace age discrimination vary according to participants' psychosocial factors, such as age group, gender, education level, and work sector. This study included a sample of 453 workers in Portugal, diverse in terms of age, gender, education level, and work sector. Four different instruments were used: (a) a sociodemographic questionnaire; (b) an older workers' Work Adaptability scale; (c) an older workers' Work Effectiveness Scale and; (d) the Workplace Age Discrimination Scale (WADS). Results: Middle-aged and older participants perceive older workers as more adaptable than younger participants. The oldest group of participants perceives older workers to be more work-effective and experience the highest levels of age discrimination in the workplace, when compared to the other age groups. Also, participants with lower levels of education tend to perceive higher levels of workplace age discrimination, when compared to participants with high school and higher education. Conclusions: Generational perceptions in the workplace are perceived by workers differently, hence organizations should implement age management strategies to address age discrimination, particularly due to the increasing proportion of older workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends our understanding of employment and gendered rural ageing by examining the latent benefits of paid work for mid-life women in rural Ireland. Existing social gerontology literature deals extensively with manifest financial reasons to work, consequences of gendered pay and pension inequalities, work-related health concerns and the negative impacts to an extended working life for women. However, there is much less focus on the latent non-financial positive contributions that work provides for the older woman, especially within a rural context. Findings from this study show how mid-life women, even if in lower-paid, precarious work or in poorer health may choose to continue working into older age. Paid work provides not only financial autonomy, but also temporal structure, life purpose, personal agency, social connectivity and a self-identity that most women are reluctant to relinquish to retirement. Meaningful work plays a critical role in the ageing experience of older rural women. A qualitative study of 25 women aged 45–65 in Connemara, Ireland was undertaken from a lifecourse perspective and analysed using constructivist grounded theory to allow rich, novel narrative to emerge. Narrative from seven, who best represent all participants, are utilised in this paper. Conclusions suggest that the latent benefits of paid work are at least as, if not more important than financial gain for rural mid-life women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the demographic and workforce ageing, ageism has been reflected in the work context. Ageism can be defined as stereotypes, prejudice and/or age-based discrimination. It is a form of devaluation and non-inclusion of workers, which materialises in a decent work deficit. It affects workers and organisations. The present literature review aims to provide a comprehensive and accurate picture of empirical research on worker-related ageism. We searched the word ageism in the title or abstract of articles indexed in the EBSCOhost and Web of Science. Fifty-eight peer-reviewed articles were retrieved (March 2020). Some of these articles report more than one empirical study. Thirty-two articles include quantitative design studies, 20 qualitative design, three mixed methods, two experimental and three instrument development and/or validation. The focus of the studies is mostly about negative ageism on older workers. The main findings present several facets of ageism and show different experiences, whether implicit or explicit. Ageism acts in a plurality of aspects, such as obstacles in the hiring process, employability and performance evaluation of older workers. We found research gaps such as determinants and interventions aiming at ageism prevention and proposed corresponding future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A growing population of elderly necessitates a sharpened focus on sustainable employment through aging. Physically demanding work can be challenging, especially for senior workers. Establishing determinants of labor market participation could guide policy development and preventive efforts at the workplaces aiming at keeping senior workers longer in the labor market. Methods We used data from SeniorWorkingLife, a comprehensive questionnaire survey among a representative sample of Danish +50-year workers, and investigated the prospective association between self-reported work limitations due to musculoskeletal pain ('work-limiting pain') in 2018 and register-based loss of paid employment before state pension age at 2-year follow-up among +50-year Danish workers with physically demanding work (n  = 3050). Results Results showed that work-limiting pain increased the risk of loss of paid employment before the state pension age in a progressive manner, i.e. the higher degree of work-limiting pain, the higher risk of loss of paid employment (P  < 0.001). Experiencing a low degree of work-limiting pain was associated with an 18% increased risk of loss of paid employment [risk ratio (RR): 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14–1.21], whereas experiencing a very high degree of work-limiting pain increased the risk of loss of paid employment by 155% (RR: 2.55, 95% CI: 2.43–2.69) compared to no work-limiting pain. Conclusion In conclusion, work-limiting pain constitutes an important risk factor for loss of paid employment among senior workers with physically demanding work, and effective preventive efforts at both policy and workplace levels should be documented and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is a natural, global phenomenon which is inevitable, irreversible, and involuntary phase of human life that declines productivity. This low productive ageing population increases due to the decreased mortality rate, increase in nutrition awareness, advancements in medical facilities, life expectancies etc. Globally, there were 771 million people aged 65 years or over in 2022, 3 times more than the size in 1980. The older population is projected to reach 994 million by 2030 and 1.6 billion by 2050. According to Census 2011, India has 104 million older people (60+years), constituting 8.6% of total population which has increased to 10.1% in 2021 and further likely to increase to 13.1% in 2031. Unfortunately, the trend of honoring, greeting and valuing elderly has been changed and the life contexts have forced elderly to opt for jobs. Therefore, in the recent past, elderly employment and inclusion of elderly in employment has become a common rising phenomenon in the modern society due to the breakdown of joint families, decline of altruistic family values, rise in dual earner families, loss of family& cultural values, force to avoid boring life, loneliness, context to lead a dignified life, etc. Hence, despite aging, the elderly people make an effort to participate in the workforce. The present study aimed to explore socio - demographic profile, reasons and differences for participating in workforce, difficulties faced during their jobs and their health at Coimbatore city. Through purposive sampling technique with inclusion criteria of working elderly, data was collected through interview schedule from 265 elderly respondents. The study findings reveal that women account for a majority of 52.83% than men which is 47.16%. The major reason for seeking employment is finance. The difficulties at work vary with white- and blue-collar workers. Auspiciously, for 85.28% of respondents their pay is enough to meet family needs and to avail themselves of health insurance. For 14.71% of the elderly people, their pay is insufficient. The calculated t value is greater than the critical t value connotes that there is a significant difference between the reasons of men and women elderly to opt for job at old age. The findings of this study infer that the elderly continue their jobs irrespective of their sickness and difficulties in order to lead a dignified life with economic security and they make attempts for self-sustenance which would reduce financial strain and economic dependence to the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This paper aimed to explore the views of employers at senior care businesses concerning the employment of retired nurses in Thailand. Design: A qualitative interview study was conducted. Methods: Face‐to‐face and online semi‐structured interviews with 78 senior care business employers were conducted. Results: Business employers had positive sentiments towards employing retired nurses to deliver care and supported them to remain in the profession. Business employers acknowledged that retired nurses have a high level of professional confidence with excellent knowledge and skills. Furthermore, retired nurses were often assigned to work in managerial roles. In addition, flexibility in terms of work hours, suitability of role and responsibilities, and reasonable compensation rates were important to nurses' decisions to remain in or return to the nursing profession. There is a need for the further development of recruitment, retention and reform policies to encourage retired nurses to continue or return to the nursing profession. Patient and Public Contributions: We thank all participants for their valuable input throughout the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offers a new theoretical and empirical perspective on the dynamic effect of demographic dissimilarity on absenteeism behavior by team members over time. Integrating social identity theory with the theory of anchoring events (i.e., key social interactions), we propose that individual absenteeism behavior depends on the relational dissimilarity to the team age and gender. Using a sample of 2,711 individual newcomers in 820 blue-collar teams tracked over seven years, we show that gender and age dissimilarity effects are not constant over time; rather, dissimilar individuals increase their absences more strongly over the years. Particularly, women and older employees in predominantly male and younger teams show a steeper increase in absenteeism over time and, accordingly, higher absolute absenteeism at later stages of team membership than do their less dissimilar counterparts. We discuss the implications for relational demography and diversity theory, as well as for diversity management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary focuses on the remunerated work dimension of productive aging in Mexico, specifically paid employment. The main purpose is to draw attention to productive aging policies and programs built on alliances between the Mexican government and private companies – e.g., Starbucks – and then to analyze the potential impacts of such alliances on the older population. We argue that although the Mexican government emphasizes the rights of older adults to engage in paid-employment programs through such alliances, it is not addressing the issues that underlie paid-employment activities in later life, such as conditions of inequality, lack of opportunities, and poverty. We also argue that the instrumentation of productive aging programs implemented by the government should consider the costs and benefits for older adults. Solid, research-based evidence is needed to better implement productive aging programs by accounting for the factors that influence older adults' decisions to continue working, the functional capacities of older workers, and their performance needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a meta-evaluation of the literature on the impacts of active labour market policies for unemployed people over 50, extracting 82 impacts for analysis. The meta-evaluation includes only impact evaluations that examine both a group of beneficiaries and a control group of comparable non-beneficiaries. On average, we find that active policies have a slightly negative effect (−0.8 percentage points) on the probability of unemployed people over 50 finding a job and that this negative effect disappears 24 months after policy implementation. However, this effect is very different when disaggregated by policy type. Direct job creation policies have a clear negative effect (−3.9 percentage points), and training policies have a positive average effect, either in isolation (2.4 percentage points) or when combined with search assistance or counselling (1.7 percentage points). We also find slight differences by gender, with the effect of active policies being greater for women than for men. These results have important implications, given that the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have made active policies the cornerstone of their efforts to improve the re-employment of older people. Our results support training policies, either in isolation or in combination with search assistance and counselling. The greatest impacts are obtained after 12 months of policy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood environments have been positively associated with older adults' engagement outcomes. As mid- and late-life work participation gains traction, the scope of productive engagement in later life expands concomitantly. However, current age-friendly neighborhood paradigms remain largely retirement-centric, with minimal applicability for older adults with work aspirations. Therefore, the objective of this research was to examine whether neighborhood land use had significant impact on older adults' work participation and well-being while working. Neighborhood variables were measured at the postal code level and statistically analyzed in relation to work participation and quality of life (QOL) scores for 850 older adults in Singapore. Significant variables were evaluated again for 28 planning areas, and statistically analyzed in relation to workforce participation rates. The findings suggest that neighborhood spatial attributes are significant for mid- and late-life work participation: Strategic provision of amenities was associated with individual work participation and well-being, while density and distribution of specific land-use types were associated with workforce participation rates. The article concludes with a discussion on the gaps in planning approaches for work-supportive and age-friendly neighborhood paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the causal role of time horizons in age differences in worker motivation. Based on socioemotional selectivity theory (SST), we hypothesized that under unspecified time horizons, older workers prefer to engage in emotionally meaningful work activities more so than younger workers. We further hypothesized that when time horizons at work are expanded or limited, age differences are eliminated. We recruited a sample of employees (N = 555) and randomly assigned them to one of three experimental conditions: a no-instruction condition in which time horizons were not specified, an expanded time horizons condition, or a limited horizons condition. We asked participants to choose from among three options for work-related activities: Helping a colleague or a friend, working on a career-advancing project, or working on a project which may take the company in a new direction. Consistent with SST postulates, we found that age was associated with preferences for helping colleagues in the unspecified horizons condition, and that age differences were eliminated when time horizons were extended or limited. As hypothesized, expanding time horizons reduced employees' likelihood of choosing to help colleagues. Contrary to our hypothesis, limiting time horizons also reduced the likelihood of choosing to help colleagues. Alternative explanations are considered. Findings suggest that age differences in worker motivation are shaped by time horizons and that modification of time horizons can alter work preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the challenges and trends in human resource management across the retail sector in India. The focus is on how retailers are coming to terms with wider recruitment patterns and skills sets, and how they are adapting their HR policies to suit these changes. The article also considers what this means for hiring managers in the future. Some of the challenges that Indian retailers face include finding people with experience in all of their stores; dealing with labour shortages when employees retire or become ill; attracting skilled staff, who have been displaced by automation, to work in retail; retaining staff by providing better opportunities for them to progress through training or promotion within a company; and retaining older workers so they do not leave at an age which is too early. It is argued that the retail sector has to recognize that a key function of HR is being prepared for future changes, in order to survive and flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever more people are in paid work following the age of state pension availability, and yet the experience of working in this phase of the late career has been little studied. We interviewed a purposive sample of 25 Swedish people in their mid- to late sixties and early seventies, many of whom were or had recently been working while claiming an old-age pension. The data were analysed with constant comparative analysis in which we described and refined categories through the writing of analytic memos and diagramming. We observed that paid work took place within a particular material, normative and emotional landscape: a stable and secure pension income decommodifying these workers from the labour market, a social norm of a retired lifestyle and a looming sense of contraction of the future. This landscape made paid work in these years distinctive: characterised by immediate intrinsic rewards and processes of containing and reaffirming commitments to jobs. The oldest workers were able to craft assertively the temporal flexibility of their jobs in order to protect the autonomy and freedom that retirement represented and retain favoured job characteristics. Employed on short-term (hourly) contracts or self-employed, participants continually reassessed their decision to work. Participation in paid work in the retirement years is a distinctive second stage in the late career which blends the second and third ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the economic impacts of the COVID‐19 lockdown in Thailand on low‐income older people concerning their employment, household income and food security. The study also aimed to identify which socioeconomic characteristics of low‐income older Thais are at higher risk of being negatively affected and whether they can access state economic relief during the pandemic response in Thailand. Methods: Economic, health and social well‐being questionnaires were completed by low‐income older Thais (n = 808) holding a State Welfare Card during the COVID‐19 lockdown in 2020. Descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regressions were utilized in the data analysis. All analyses were performed using Stata 15. Results: This study found that 62% of participants experienced a negative impact on their household income, 35% had a negative impact on employment and 20% had a negative impact on food security. However, the impact level depended upon their vulnerability before the pandemic. The study also reveals that older Thais who experienced a negative impact on household income could access monetary relief schemes from the government during the pandemic. Conclusions: This study reveals the layers of economic vulnerability among the population of low‐income older Thais negatively affected by the 2020 lockdown. Despite the accessible state monetary relief, differential skills with the use of digital technology could create inequitable access to aid measures among older Thais. The findings highlight the need for longitudinal studies to track changes in the economic impacts arising from subsequent waves of COVID‐19 on low‐income older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]