In Europe’s ageing societies, working life and retirement are affected by major social changes and re-form processes. Flexibilisation of work affects the retirement timing and pension of older people today and in the future. Ongoing reforms delay retirement and make pensions more dependent upon previous employment, contributions, and savings. A pilot study explores gender-specific retirement patterns and inequalities in old age in Germany. The cross-national project studies the evolution of employment until retirement and its consequences in a life-course perspective. It focusses on the consequences of working life flexibilization on retirement patterns and pension income in old age. It analyses combinations of social risks (gender, partnership, disability, and migrant status) besides education and socioeconomic status. The project combines event history and sequence analyses, compiles social policy trackers on reforms, and conducts cross-national surveys to follow transitions to retirement and map old age income. It seeks to identify evidence-based policies that reconcile flexibility and security in working life and retirement across Europe.
In cooperation with Katja Möhring (Bamberg).
