Strategy in project "Determinants of Retirement Decisions in Europe and the United States"

Strategy

The project follows a two-stage design: In a first phase, nation-specific case-studies will reconstruct relevant 'framework conditions' of older workers retirement decisions, considering macro- (e.g. nation-state policies), and meso-level factors (e.g. workplace practices). The case-studies will be conducted by collaboration partners of the project as `national experts’ (see link partner). Three PhD students at the MZES will explore workplace policies and retirement preferences in Europe as well as the determinants of retirement processes in Germany. The results of the first phase will be brought together at a workshop in Mannheim.

The second phase will focus on the empirical analysis of retirement decisions under the institutional opportunities and constraints elaborated in the first project phase. To this end, most recent SHARE/ SHARELIFE respectively ESS will be used to contrast possible changes in the timing and voluntariness of retirement decisions as well as its determinants before and after the political shift from 'early exit' to 'active ageing'.