Decomposition of between and within- country (regional) differences in the labour market attachment and earnings in late career
This report provides insights into inequalities in late careers by exploring the role of contextual and individual factors in shaping the experiences of older people. We examine differences between 27 European countries and, for 14 of them, also within countries across major socio-economic (NUTS 1) regions, using EU-SILC data from 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and comparing it with 2018 to assess whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact. We map success and inequalities in the labour market outcomes of older adults using six indicators – unemployment, non-activity, occupational attainment, disposable income, poverty risks, and life satisfaction. We explore whether late career outcomes are associated with other life domains, such as health or family situation; whether compositional differences across regions or countries account for late career inequalities, and whether and how does institutional context improve late career outcomes.
The most important individual-level factors are older adults’ educational attainment, health and family situation (defined by partnership and dependent family members).
Differences in socio- demographic and socio- economic profiles of older adults account for substantial part of country- and regional-level variation in late career outcomes.
Late careers are influenced by factors from different policy areas, such as education, labour market and economic conditions, and care, at both national and regional level.