Research Review
Is a longer work life healthy for you?
Harvard Health Publications
Working beyond midlife offers pluses and minuses. Here are a few.
More than half of women aged 55–64 are working or looking for work—twice as many as in 1950. Many of these women are at the peak of their careers; others simply enjoy working and have no desire to quit. Fortunately for them, most jobs no longer have mandatory retirement ages, and changes in Social Security and private pension rules have made it more attractive to keep working.
Many other women work out of necessity, not by choice. A 65-year-old woman can expect to live, on average, at least another 20 years. She may not have the financial wherewithal to cover another two decades’ worth of expenses. She may need a paying job to offset inadequate Social Security benefits, retirement income depleted by stock market losses, or health care costs not covered by insurance.
Older women and their partners may still be paying off mortgages or their children’s higher education debts. Women who are single, divorced, or widowed may be worse off financially. For these and other reasons, a growing number of women in their 50s and 60s plan to keep working at least into their 70s. Several factors influence a woman’s ability to enjoy a longer work life. Here are some things to keep in mind.
The benefits of work in later life
The MacArthur Foundation Study of Ageing in America has identified three key ingredients to successful ageing: low probability of disease and disability; high mental and physical function; and active engagement with life. Work, whether paid or unpaid, can help fulfill two out of three of these requirements.
A job that challenges the intellect requires initiative and capacity to make independent choices. It enhances self confidence to take on a variety of situations with a sharp mind—much as physical workouts keep the body in shape. By "active engagement with life" the MacArthur researchers mean close personal relationships and the pursuit of activities that produce something of value, be it a product or a service, such as providing nursing care or babysitting for any neighbour. Work can provide both of these.
Working also engenders a sense of optimism about ageing. In a poll conducted in 2002 among women aged 50 and over, Brandeis University’s National Centre on Women and Ageing (Massachusetts) http://www.brandeis.edu/, found a link between working and positive attitudes toward ageing. Older working women were more likely than their non-working counterparts to feel positive about growing older, to report being in good physical health, and to anticipate a better financial future.
Research suggests also that people who feel they are making a difference in a role they believe is important may live longer than those who feel less effective or valuable. So the work we choose in our later years, whether paid or volunteer, could actually extend our lives.
On the other hand, not all work is good. Some jobs cause unrelenting stress that can make people sick. The classic model of a harmfully stressful job is one with high demands (too much to do in too little time), low control by the worker, minimum positive feedback about the work performed, feeling insecure and threatened by a colleague’s knowledge resulting in little support from supervisors, co-workers, or both. Studies have shown that women in such jobs can suffer a serious mental and physical decline within a few years. That does not happen to women whose jobs allow them to use their skills and participate in decision-making.
A working future in Australia today ...
In a tight job market, women may feel they do not have much choice about the work they do. But opportunities for older women appear to be improving. The reasons are complex, involving changes in social attitudes as well as some legislative structures and political efforts. But the main factors are the growth of the Australian economy and the relatively small number of young people entering the labor market today— compared, say, to the era of the baby boomers.
As a result, many businesses are often willing to turn to older workers, whose strengths include maturity, reliability, adaptability, experience, loyalty, and a keen desire to work. With age, it may take a little longer to learn something new or to recall things such as numbers or names on demand, but research has found that in most cases, practice and effort can compensate for these minor changes.
Some of us may find that this is a good time to change careers or work part-time. To maximise our chances of finding work that we like, or to make current work more enjoyable or to investigate career development through training opportunities (enhanced technology skills) at the workplace or in the community. The best career may still lie ahead of us !!
Helpful Resource
John W Rowe and Robert L Kahn, 1999. Successful Ageing, Dell Publications.
Monika
Monika Bhatia
Project Manager and Editor, Quality4life
20 September 2006
