A Cross-National Analysis of Labor Force Participation and Life Expectancy Among Older Adults

Background and Purpose:

Productive aging is a new and evolving conceptual model that emphasizes the antecedents and consequences of productivity in later life. Proponents of productive aging claim that productive activity in later life is associated with a number of benefits for individuals, communities, and societies, but this assumption has not been widely tested at the country level. In the context of an adapted model of productive aging, the present study identifies the cross-national predictors of and relationship between one form of productivity (viz., labor force participation) and one aspect of well-being (viz., longevity) among older adults.

Methods:

Random effects models with pooled cross-sections and path analysis were used to analyze potential relationships with data from several international data sources. The complete cross-national longitudinal dataset consists of variables measured at five time points or during intervals centered at these time points (i.e., 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000) for each of thirty countries that belong to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Results:

The present study makes one particularly important and new contribution to the cross-national literature on productivity and longevity; the study suggests that work in later life strongly influences life expectancy among older adults, but that some important gender differences should be noted. The present study also suggests that public policy plays a very important role in country level labor force participation rates and life expectancy. More specifically, higher levels of public spending on social issues are associated with lower rates of labor force participation and higher life expectancies. Finally, the present study confirms that the adapted model of productivity provides a solid foundation for cross-national analyses of labor force participation and life expectancy, but highlights the importance of analyzing male and female behavior and outcomes separately.

Conclusions and Implications:

The study fills a gap in the existing productive aging research literature by focusing on country level predictors of labor force participation and longevity among older adults. The results of the study are likely to be of significance to older adults and their advocates. In addition, in light of the global trend toward longevity and related potential pressure on countries to adequately provide for their burgeoning older adult populations, the results of the study are likely to be of interest to international and national policy-makers. Older adults and their families, geriatric social workers, policy-makers, and leaders can use the results from this study to enhance the health and well-being of older adults.