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In the context of an aging population and aging workforce, we consider the relationship between cognitive function and paid work. Cognitive function is maintained for most adults as they age, and there is evidence of a positive relationship between stimulating and engaging work environments and both levels of cognitive function and their maintenance over time. At the same time, irregular and long work hours are associated with poorer cognitive outcomes. However, the relationship between paid work and cognitive function is complex; education and training as well as health status are also related to cognitive function and work. We discuss implications for policy makers and areas where further research is required.

This paper analyses the labour market transitions of older men and women using data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). I find large peaks in exit rates out of employment at ages 60 (women) and 65 (both sexes) which occur in the exact birthday month. This suggests that pension schemes have strong incentive effects. Discrete-time hazard regression analysis shows that benefits and health status are the two most important determinants of retirement, with effects that are larger than found in previous studies for British and US men. When modelling unobserved heterogeneity I find that the share of ‘movers’ between work and non-work is twice as high among women as among men.

In this paper, I analyse how spouses in older couples react to shocks or surprises in their partners labour income using data from the British Household Panel Survey, 1991-2004. Wives labour supply proves to be much more sensitive to shocks than husbands. After a divorce or separation, wives reduce their labour supply while the effect on husbands labour supply is positive or not statistically significant. If a wife becomes unemployed, it does not affect her husbands labour supply while wives whose husband becomes unemployed reduce their labour supply, too. A decline in husbands health causes the wife to reduce her working hours while husbands tend to increase their labour supply when facing a decline in wifes health. Partners death does not have statistically significant labour supply effects. Negative income shocks due to other reasons (such as choice) tend to reduce partners labour supply and vice versa, but only slightly.

This paper analyses the labour market transitions of older men and women using data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). I find large peaks in exit rates out of employment at ages 60 (women) and 65 (both sexes) which occur in the exact birthday month. This suggests that pension schemes have strong incentive effects. Discrete-time hazard regression analysis shows that benefits and health status are the two most important determinants of retirement, with effects that are larger than found in previous studies for British and US men. When modelling unobserved heterogeneity I find that the share of movers between work and non-work is twice as high among women as among men.