Older Workers: The ‘Unavoidable Obligation’ of
Extending Our Working Lives?
Sarah Vickerstaff*
Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent
Abstract
Older workers are becoming an increasing topic of research interest and policy concern as the...
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Older Workers: The ‘Unavoidable Obligation’ of
Extending Our Working Lives?
Sarah Vickerstaff*
Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent
Abstract
Older workers are becoming an increasing topic of research interest and policy concern as the
populations of Europe, the United States and many other countries age.
Some commentators
argue that living longer means that there will be an ‘unavoidable obligation’ to work for longer as
well.
This article considers the reasons for concern about an ageing workforce.
It then looks at
the different literatures, which seek to research and understand the position of older workers.
It
provides a snapshot of the work that those over 50 years of age in the UK currently do and poses
the question of whether we want to work for longer or whether a culture of early retirement
prevails.
It concludes by arguing for a more fine grained understanding of the composition of the
older worker cohort, differentiated by class, gender and race and for more r
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