Digitalization in the world of work and individuals in their second half of working life in Germany

As digitalization continues to transform the world of work, understanding its implications for older workers is crucial. This dissertation comprises three papers that delve into the ramifications of digitalization on older workers in Germany. Drawing from data of the German Ageing Survey enriched by digitalization data on the occupational level, this dissertation focusses on training behavior, subjective job quality, and self-perceptions of aging (SPA). In the first paper, the association between training behavior and the extent of digitalization in occupations is explored. Findings reveal positive associations between changes in the level of digitalization and training participation. Notably, gender differences in training participation are identified, with female employees working in occupations that experienced a strong digitalization boost over the last years potentially facing disadvantages compared to their male counterparts. The second paper shifts the focus to subjective job quality, examining how digitalization impacts various dimensions of job satisfaction and perceived occupational stress among older employees. Findings indicate that while digitalization generally seems to enhance job satisfaction, it can also lead to increased stress in certain aspects of work (tight schedules, negative environmental factors). The third paper investigates, how digitalization influences older workers' SPA. Latent change score models are employed to explore changes in SPA across domains such as physical and social losses, ongoing development, and self-knowledge. Remarkably, higher levels of digitalization are associated with positive shifts in SPA, particularly in the domains of ongoing development and self-knowledge. Overall, this dissertation contributes to a better understanding of how older workers fare in digitalizing occupations and informs policies and practices aimed at supporting older workers in an increasingly digitalized world of work.