Job resources as predictors for older workers’ willingness to continue working: moderated mediation model of job category and job satisfaction

Purpose This paper examines how job resources influence older workers’ willingness to continue working (WCW) in their current roles, with the mediating role of job satisfaction (JS) and moderating role of job category (support, professional and manager). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 432 employees aged 50 and older in a Dutch local government through an online questionnaire. Linear regressions with bootstrapping tested mediation, and the Hayes method assessed moderation. Findings JS mediated the relationship between job resources and WCW, fully for job autonomy and social support and partially for learning opportunities. Job category moderated the relationship between JS and WCW, showing a strong association among older professionals, and employees in support roles and none in managerial positions. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Practical implications The results reaffirm the important role of job resources in influencing JS and WCW. It suggests that managers and Human Resources (HR) professionals consider differences in job categories when redesigning roles for older employees to motivate them to continue working. Originality/value This paper reveals that older employees with access to job resources are willing to continue working their current job, with JS mediating this relationship. The findings uniquely show that the relationship between JS and WCW is moderated by job category.