Losing the workers who need the work most: Health effects on involuntary retirement.

Abstract

Governments are encouraging workers to remain in employment beyond traditional retirement age. A tangible expression of this in Australia is the move to raise the Aged Pension access age from 65 to 67 by 2023. This policy assumes that the majority of workers will be able to extend their working lives. However, even at the age of 65, one-third of older workers have left their jobs involuntarily, with poor health an important reason for exit. Yet the significance of worker health for maintaining or limiting employment is not reflected in current policy architecture.