Life Satisfaction and Emotional Well-being among Older Adults: Does Working after Retirement Age Matter??

Official retirement age is the age when people may start receiving their pension or social security benefits. This study examines motivations for working post-retirement age and its effects on older adults' life satisfaction and emotional well-being. Using Social Survey data collected by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics for the years 2017-2020, this study selected individuals post retirement age (62 + for women, 67 + for men), and investigated factors associated with post-retirement work and its relationship with emotional well-being. The findings reveal gender differences: economic needs motivate men to work full-time after retirement, whereas good labour market prospects motivate women. People working after retirement age report better or similar outcomes than those not working. Full-time work is positively related to men's outcomes, regardless of job type, whereas working post-retirement age is related to women's satisfaction only if it is in lucrative occupations, and is not related to emotional well-being. Working after retirement age may help promote healthy aging and may facilitate the transition out of employment and into retirement, especially for men.