The voluntariness of retirement-transitions: a European cohort-study

Abstract Involuntary retirement has negative effects on an individual’s health and satisfaction with life. However, it remains unknown whether the recent European policy shift from early retirement towards extending working lives has impacted retirement voluntariness. This study examines how socio-demographic factors affect retirement voluntariness, which is classified as ‘involuntary’ ( e.g. being laid off), ‘voluntary’ ( e.g. wanting to spend more time with family) or ‘regular’ ( e.g. reaching the state pension age). The analysis is based on SHARE data (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe), covers ten European countries and differentiates between two retirement cohorts (1994–2004 and 2005–2015) during which the policy shift took place. At the individual level, we find that gender and socio-economic status correlate with retirement voluntariness. At the company level, the sector of employment and job tenure also show an association with retirement voluntariness. The results indicate that, between the two cohorts, the share of those who experience their retirement as ‘regular’ has increased, while the share with ‘involuntary’ retirement has decreased. However, these shifts differ by educational groups, with a stronger increase of voluntary retirement for those with high education, suggesting a rise in social inequalities in retirement-transitions, likely owing to an accumulation of (dis)advantages over the lifecourse.