Work preferences after 50 : 3rd EQLS policy brief.
Date: 2014-08-19
Institutions: Eurofound
Subjects: arrangement of working time, casual employment, employment policy, employment statistics, part-time employment, retired person, unemployment, working environment, working time, workplace

� Foundation Findings

Work preferences  
after 50 

3 rd 

EQLS policy brief

 
When citing this report, please use the following wording:  
Eurofound (2014), Work preferences after 50, Publications Office of the  
European Union, Luxembourg.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions 
(Eurofound) is a tripartite European Union Agency, whose role is to provide knowledge in 
the area of social and work-related policies. Eurofound was established in 1975 by Council 
Regulation (EEC) No. 1365/75, to contribute to the planning and design of better living and 
working conditions in Europe.

© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2014.

For rights of translation or reproduction, applications should be made to the Director, 
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Wyattville 
Road, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18, Ireland.
Telephone: (+353 1) 204 31 00
Email: information@eurofound.europa.eu
Web: www.eurofound.europa.eu

ISBN 978-92-897-1144-9

doi:10.2806/51644

EQLS policy briefs

This policy brief highlights findings on a specific topic from Eurofound’s European Quality of 
Life Survey (EQLS) that is of particular interest from a policy perspective. It brings results of 
the analysis of these data together with evidence from other Eurofound projects to formulate 
a number of policy pointers. The focus of this policy brief is the weekly working time preferences 
of people aged 50 and over. It has been prepared by Hans Dubois and Robert Anderson. For 
further information, contact Hans Dubois: hdu@eurofound.europa.eu

� Policy context

Background
In 2012, there were 190 million people aged 50 
years and over in the EU, up from 178 million 
five  years  previously,  in  2007.  Over  the  same 
period,  the  proportion  of  the  population  aged 
50+ rose from 35% to 37%. This increase reflects 
the fact that Europeans are living longer lives, 
an important social achievement. People aged 
50+ have a wealth of experience and contribute 
to  society  in  numerous  ways,  including  paid 
work, informal care and volunteering. However, 
particularly  in  the  Member  States  that  have 
joined the EU since 2004, the situation of people 
aged 50+ can be a vulnerable one – especially 
in terms of access to healthcare, housing quality 
and material deprivation. 

Policy challenges and issues

More older people in the workforce
Extending  working  life  and  increasing  the 
employment rates of older workers have been 
explicit  priorities  in  EU  policy  for  nearly  two 
decades.  In  2010,  the  European  Council 
adopted the Europe 2020 Strategy, which has 
set the target of raising the overall employment 
rate of Europeans aged 20–64 years from 69% 
to  75%  by  2020.  A  key  element  of  this  is  the 
greater  labour  participation  of  older  people, 

along with young people, people with low levels 
of occupational skills and migrants.

Raising employment rates among older people 
is considered important for three key reasons. 
First, their employment rates are below those 
of  other  age  groups,  so  there  is  significant 
potential to raise them. Second, given that the 
European population is ageing, the proportion 
of this age group in the working age population 
is expected to increase: if their labour market 
participation  were  to  remain  as  at  present,  it 
would bring down the overall employment rate. 
Third, the long-standing policy goals to extend 
working  life  aim  both  to  ensure  that  society 
can benefit from the work experience of older 
people and that older people can contribute to 
the  sustainability  of  pension  systems.  It  may 
also  be  the  case  that  a  longer  working  life  is 
what some people want.

Over  the  past  few  years,  employment  rates 
have  in  fact  increased  for  older  people  –  in 
particular,  for  55–59  year-olds  and  for  60–64 
year-olds (Figure 1). This increase is especially 
striking in light of the recent crisis. It can partly 
be explained by the fact that several Member 
States are discouraging early retirement and are 
raising  the  pension  age.  Furthermore,  people 
in  age  cohorts  with  higher  labour  market 

3 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

� Section Figure 1: Employment rates for people aged 50+ in 2006–2012, by age group, EU28 (%)
80 

73.6 

70 

60 

56.2 

50 

40 

28.3 

30 

20 

10 

0 

9.2 

4.5 

1.1 

75.8 

64.2 

33.4 

11.1 

5.4 

1.2 

50–54 years 

55–59 years 

60–64 years 

65–69 years 

70–74 years 

75+ years 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

Note: Comparable data available from 2006 until 2012 (fourth quarters). First and last data points are labelled.
Source: Based on Labour Force Survey (LFS) data from online Eurostat database

participation, particularly in the case of women, 
are moving into the next age cohort. 

Raising  the  pension  age  does  not  necessarily 
mean that all workers exit the labour market at 
an older age. For many workers, particularly low-
and medium-skilled manual workers, continuing 
to work in the same conditions even up to well 
below the pensionable age may not be possible: 
on average, about one-third of European workers 
think  they  will  be  unable  to  do  their  current 
jobs when they are 60 years old. The figure is 
particularly high in some Member States – 57% 
in  Slovenia,  for  instance  (Eurofound,  2012a). 
On  the  one  hand,  simultaneously  raising  the 
pension age and discouraging early retirement 
can  negatively  affect  quality  of  life  for  people 
who may prefer to stop working – in particular, 
if their working conditions put a strain on them. 
On the other hand, some people may want to 
work beyond the state pension age, even without 
these policy measures. Understanding better the 

work preferences of people aged 50+ (both those 
in employment and those currently not working) 
may  help  to  identify  ways  to  raise  the  age  at 
which people stop working, and thus contribute 
to the sustainability of welfare systems – without 
negatively affecting older people’s quality of life.

Impact of the crisis 
Employment  rates  among  people  aged  50+ 
have  increased  or  remained  stable  during  the 
crisis.  Despite  this,  many  people  aged  50+ 
have  suffered  from  the  crisis.  For  instance, 
some  retirees  have  experienced  a  fall  in  their 
disposable income because of pension cuts, or 
cost increases – in part because of rising energy 
prices  and  cuts  in  publicly  funded  services 
as  a  result  of  governments’  budget-balancing 
measures.  The  increase  in  the  employment 
rates of older people during the crisis may thus 
partly reflect a need on their part for additional 
income to make ends meet (Eurofound, 2012b). 

4

� Section Some groups of people aged 50+ in employment 
have been subjected to reduced working hours 
or wages. Some have also lost their jobs or have 
been forced to take retirement. It is important to 
note that the higher employment rates of people 
aged  50+  are  averages;  for  some  subgroups, 
employment  rates  have  in  fact  fallen.  For 
example, while the average employment rate for 
men  aged  50+  has  increased  by  1  percentage 
point,  the  employment  rate  of  men  who  have 
achieved no higher than a lower secondary level 
of education has fallen by 2.6 percentage points. 

While  the  employment  rates  of  people  aged 
50-64  years  have  risen,  their  unemployment 
rates have also increased – from 5.5% in 2007 
to  7.4%  in  2012.  This  apparent  paradox  can 
be  explained  by  the  increased  proportion  of 
older people in the labour market, particularly 
women. While this unemployment rate is lower 
than for younger people – and the increase is 

smaller – it is serious, unemployed people aged 
50+ having relatively little prospect of finding 
a job (Eurofound, 2012c).

Employment rates of women

Between 2007 and 2012, gains in employment 
occurred  mostly  among  older  women,  the 
employment  rate  of  women  aged  50–64  years 
rising by 4.8 percentage points. Younger women’s 
employment  rates  decreased,  but  less  so  than 
men’s (Figure 2). Nevertheless, this is likely to 
reflect  the  ageing  of  cohorts  in  which  the  rate 
of female labour participation has been higher, 
rather than women finding employment at a later 
age.  With  more  women  on  the  labour  market 
looking for work, unemployment among women 
aged 50–64 actually increased by 1.2 percentage 
points – from 5.8% in 2007 to 7.0% in 2012. This 
compares  with  an  increase  of  2.5  percentage 
points among men (from 5.3% to 7.8%). 

Figure 2: Changes in employment rates between 2007 and 2012, by age group, EU28 
(% points)

4.8 

1.0 

50–64 years 

Men 

Women 

6 

4 

2 

0 

-2 

-4 

-6 

-8 

-10 

20–24 years 

25–49 years 

-0.7 

-4.9 

-4.1 

-7.6 

Source: Based on LFS data from online Eurostat database, downloaded October 2013. 

5 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

Caring responsibilities
People  aged  50+  often  care  for  a  partner  or 
parent with health problems or disabilities. One 
challenge when promoting longer working lives 
is that older carers who are working may not be 
able to provide the hours of care they want to 
give. If less informal care is provided, demand 
for  formal  care  is  likely  to  increase,  implying 
greater  public  expenditure  and  potentially 
a lower quality of life for the person being cared 
for. Of course, having caring responsibilities may 
make it more difficult in the first place for people 
aged 50+ to remain in or take up employment.

Volunteering and housework
People  aged  50+  also  make 
important 
contributions  to  society  through  volunteering 
or  performing  housework.  Although  these 
contributions  are  of  great  economic  value, 
they are often not visible in the policy debate. 
Homemakers and volunteers, like carers, may 
feel  less  recognised  if  there  is  considerable 
policy emphasis put on paid work: incentives 
to increase paid work among people aged 50+ 
may come at the expense of their involvement 
in unpaid work.

6

Key findings

Î� Employment rates among people aged 50+ have risen during the crisis. Nevertheless, with more 
people aged 50+ in the labour market (women in particular), unemployment rates have increased 
as well.

Î� Among those aged 50+, employment rates have fallen most for low-skilled men.

Î� Unemployed  people  of  all  ages  want  to  work.  However,  unemployed  people  aged  50+  who 
can make ends meet would prefer a considerably shorter working week than those who have 
difficulties making ends meet – this difference is not found in younger age groups.

Î� About half of all retirees who are not in employment say they would like to work, often part-time. 
Proportions are higher for younger, highly educated and healthy retirees with work experience.

Î� The desire to work among people aged 50+, both those in and out of employment, does not seem 

to be opposed by partners of people aged 50+.

Î� In the EU28, 45% of people aged 50+ who are in employment would like to spend fewer hours 

at work.

Î� More than half (56%) of volunteers who are not in paid employment are happy with the time 
they spend on volunteering, but would like to spend more time in paid work, while the 10% of 
employed retirees who would like to spend less time on volunteering would also like to spend, 
on average, 7 hours less in paid work.

Î� One quarter of all people aged 50+ in employment would like to engage in more volunteering. 

And they would also like to spend 5 fewer hours at work per week.

Î� The gap between preferred working hours and actual working hours increases with age in all EU 

Member States.

Î� People  aged  65  and  older  who  are  in  employment  are  particularly  satisfied  with  their  work, 

regardless of their income level. 

Î� Older people quite often provide care for elderly or disabled relatives: 7% of people aged 50+ 
provide care on a daily basis, compared with 5% of people under 50. When they are working and 
also caring every day for elderly or disabled people, 21% of them report more work–life balance 
problems compared with 16% of people who are looking after children or grandchildren. 

Î� Part-time work facilitates a better work–life balance – particularly, it seems, for people aged 50+. 
Among people aged 50+, both in and out of employment, there is a preference for more part-time 
options.

7 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

� Exploring the issue

Main sources of data

Eurofound surveys
This policy brief draws mainly upon results from 
the 2011–2012 European Quality of Life Survey 
(EQLS), a large representative survey of people 
aged 18 and over living in the EU. 

The EQLS records how many hours per week 
respondents engage in paid work. It then asks 
them how many hours per week they would like 
to work if they could freely choose, taking into 
account their need to earn a living. Comparison 
of these numbers indicates whether people are 
happy  with  their  current  working  hours,  or  if 
they  wish  to  work  more  hours  or  fewer.  This 
survey is unique in that it asks this of people 
both  in  and  out  of  employment,  and  allows 
work  preferences  to  be  linked  to  important 
dimensions  of  quality  of  life.  It  also  asks 
respondents about their partner’s working hours, 
and  about  how  many  hours  the  respondents 
would  prefer  their  partner  to  work.  Work 
preferences  concern  more  than  just  working 
hours: the EQLS includes a question exploring 
satisfaction  with  one’s  present  job.  The  EQLS 
also records information on paid employment 
and on the various types of unpaid work carried 
out by many people aged 50+, such as caring 

activities  and  volunteering.  The  data  include 
figures on actual involvement in these different 
activities, as well as preferences regarding work 
and the balance between paid work and other 
aspects of life. 

Another of Eurofound’s pan-European surveys, 
the  European  Working  Conditions  Survey 
(EWCS) provides a rich source of information 
on working conditions and preferences, but its 
sample is restricted to the working population. 
Hence,  it  cannot  provide  any  information  on 
the work preferences of people not involved in 
paid work. The same holds true for an earlier 
Eurofound survey on working time preferences 
among people aged 16–64 years in 15 Member 
States  and  Norway,  in  which  analysis  was 
restricted  to  people  in  paid  work  (Eurofound, 
2002). 

Other relevant surveys
Other  important  surveys  with  data  about  the 
work  preferences  of  people  aged  50+  include 
the  Survey  of  Health,  Ageing  and  Retirement 
in  Europe  (SHARE)  and  the  European  Social 
Survey  (ESS).  SHARE  is  a  survey  conducted 
exclusively among people aged 50+. It is not an 
EU-wide survey, but over time has covered an 

8

� Exploring the issue

increasing number of EU Member States, from 
11 in its first wave in 2004 to 19 in its fourth 
wave in 2011. The ESS is a survey performed 
every  two  years  since  2002,  measuring  the 
attitudes,  beliefs  and  behaviour  patterns  of 
Europeans aged 15 and over. Over time it has 
included  between  19  and  24  of  the  28  EU 
Member States, with varying exceptions. 

Unless indicated, the analyses reported here are 
based on EQLS data. This policy brief compares 
some results with those of the EWCS, SHARE 
and ESS, and also the European Commission’s 
2011 Special Eurobarometer module on ‘Active 
Ageing’.  Meanwhile,  Eurostat’s  Labour  Force 
Survey  (LFS)  and  its  survey  on  Statistics  on 
Income  and  Living  Conditions  (EU-SILC)  are 
the key source for contextual labour market and 
living conditions statistics. 

The  sample  size  of  the  EQLS  differs  among 
Member  States,  ranging  between  1,000  (in 
Bulgaria and Slovakia) and 3,055 (in Germany). 
This  limits  the  potential  for  analysis  within 
Member States: hence, sometimes the analysis 
is  conducted  at  the  EU28  level,  although 
country differences exist.

Employment and work preferences

Employment rates of older people 
More than three out of every four (76%) people 
aged 50–54 years in the EU28 are engaged in 
paid  work  (Figure  1,  p.  4).  The  proportion  is 
somewhat lower for 55–59 year-olds (64%), and 
from age 60 onwards, employment is much less 
common, with one third (33%) of 60–64 year-
olds  being  in  employment.  Employment  rates 
among  people  aged  65+  have  increased  more 
than among other groups, but they are still lower 
and employment is concentrated mainly in the 
younger  cohort  of  65–69  year-olds,  of  whom 
around 11% are in employment. Employment 
among people aged 70–74 and especially those 
aged 75+ is just over 5% and 1%, respectively. 

1  Part-time work is defined here as 34 hours a week or fewer.

Country variations
There  are  large  differences  between  Member 
States.  In  2012,  the  employment  rate  of 
50–64  year-olds  was  highest  in  Sweden 
(77%),  Germany  (69%)  and  Denmark  (68%). 
It  was  lowest  in  Malta  (42%),  Greece  (45%) 
and  Croatia  (46%).  Since  the  second  wave 
of  the  EQLS  in  2007,  the  employment  rate  of 
this  age  group  has  decreased  most  in  those 
countries  that  have  been  particularly  affected 
by the crisis – in Greece, a drop of almost seven 
percentage points and in Ireland a drop of five 
percentage  points.  The  employment  rate  of 
50–64 year-olds, by contrast, increased most in 
Germany (a rise of eight percentage points) and 
Luxembourg (seven percentage points). 

For  65–70  year-olds,  the  employment  rate  is 
highest in Estonia (26%) and in Romania and 
Portugal  (both  around  22%).  It  is  lowest  in 
Slovakia (4%), and in Belgium and Spain (both 
around  5%).  The  increase  in  the  employment 
rate  for  this  age  group  since  2007  has  been 
largest  in  Sweden  (around  five  percentage 
points) and Germany (four percentage points), 
while  the  rate  decreased  most  in  Latvia  (by 
almost  eight  percentage  points)  and  Romania 
(six percentage points) (Eurostat, 2014).

People in employment
Current working hours
Overall  in  the  EU28,  people  aged  50+  in 
employment  work  similar  weekly  hours  as 
younger people. However, this is mostly true for 
the large group of people aged 50–64 years who 
on average work 40 hours (up from 39 in 2007). 
Those aged 65+ work, on average, fewer hours: 
36  per  week  (down  from  39  hours  in  2007). 
People aged 50+ relatively often work part time.1 
This is especially, and increasingly, true for people 
aged 65+: between 2007 and 2011 the proportion 
of  this  group  in  employment  who  worked  part-
time  rose  from  35%  to  38%.  By  contrast,  the 
rate of part-time work for the younger cohort of 
50–64  year-olds  fell  from  22%  to  20%  over  the 
same period. The decline in part-time work was 
somewhat greater for employees below 50 years 

9 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

of age: from 20% to 17%. For this group, it had 
already been less common to work part time.

Preferred average working hours
When people in employment are asked about 
their preferred working hours, rather than their 
actual  working  hours,  a  consistent  trend  with 
age can be observed. Preferred working hours 
decline  slowly  but  steadily  from  37  hours  per 
week among 18–24 year-olds to 35 hours among 
50–64  year-olds.  People  aged  65  and  over  in 
employment on average would prefer a relatively 
short working week, of 29 hours. Furthermore, 
the gap between actual and preferred working 
hours  increases  with  age.  People  aged  18–24 
who  are  in  employment  work  on  average 
38 hours, while (as just indicated) they would 
prefer to work 37 hours. People aged between 
25 and 49 years work 40 hours per week, but 
would prefer to work 36 hours. The gap between 
actual and preferred hours is largest for people 
aged 50–64 years (40 hours as against 35) and 
particularly 65+ years (36 hours as against 29).

Working time preferences differ across the EU 
(Table  1).  But  in  all  Member  States,  without 
exception,  people  aged  50+  in  employment 
would on average prefer to work fewer hours, 
even  after  taking  into  account  their  financial 
needs. In five countries – Romania, Slovenia, 
Malta,  Lithuania  and  Denmark  –  the  actual 
and  preferred  working  hours  of  people  aged 
50+  closely  match.  For  people  of  all  ages  in 
employment, working hours most closely match 
preferences  in  the  Netherlands,  Belgium  and 
France. However, for people aged 50+ in these 
countries, the match is less close, particularly in 
France. In most of the countries where current 
and  preferred  working  hours  closely  match, 
this is due to the preferred working hours being 
relatively long (38 hours or more) – except for 
Denmark,  where  preferred  working  hours  are 
not  that  long  (35  hours),  and  actual  working 
hours are relatively short (38 hours). 

The least favourable situation can be observed 
among  workers  in  Greece,  Poland,  Portugal 
and the UK, where on average people aged 50+ 
in  employment  would  prefer  to  work  at  least 
seven fewer hours per week than they currently 

work. People aged 50+ in Greece, Poland and 
Portugal would prefer to work more hours than 
in other Member States (38 or more), but they 
also work more hours than in any other country 
(45 or more). In the UK, while actual working 
hours  are  among  the  lowest,  the  preferred 
working hours of people in employment are also 
low. These observations concur with the recent 
finding  that,  generally,  a  larger  proportion  of 
part-time work in a country is associated with 
a greater preference among full-time workers for 
reduced work hours (Wielers et al. 2014).

Preference for more/fewer hours
On  average,  those  aged  50+  in  employment 
would like to work fewer hours in all Member 
States;  however,  substantial  minorities  would 
like  to  work  more.  Averages  mask  interesting 
differences. 

As stated above, the five Member States in which 
current  and  preferred  hours  are  on  average 
closest are Romania, Slovenia, Malta, Lithuania 
and  Denmark  (see  Table  1).  However,  many 
people in these countries want to work different 
hours. In particular, in three of these countries 
many people want to work more hours: 27% in 
Romania, 16% in Malta and 17% in Lithuania 
(compared to the EU28 average of 11%). 

Interestingly, a close match between current and 
preferred hours does not automatically equate to 
many workers wishing to work the same hours as 
they currently do. The listing of the five countries 
in which the highest proportion of workers wants 
to work the same number of hours as at present 
includes only two of the countries where average 
preferred  working  hours  most  closely  match 
average  actual  hours:  Slovenia  (where  64% 
of  workers  are  satisfied)  and  Denmark  (55%). 
The  other  three  countries  are  Croatia  (61%), 
Luxembourg (60%) and Bulgaria (58%).

It is interesting to note that while, on average, 
people  in  Austria  are  most  likely  to  want  to 
work  the  hours  they  currently  do  (58%),  this 
is not the case among people aged 50+ (53%). 
In particular, a higher proportion of these older 
workers would like to work less (39% as against 
an average of 34% for Austria).

10

Table 1: Average weekly working hours and preferred working hours in 2011, 50+, EU28

Current

Preferred

Difference

Proportion 
who would 
prefer to 
work less 
(%)

Proportion 
who would 
prefer to 
work same 
hours (%)

Proportion 
who would 
prefer to 
work more 
(%)

Romania

Slovenia

Malta

Lithuania

Denmark

Bulgaria

Netherlands

Luxembourg

Belgium

Slovakia

Ireland

France

Latvia

Estonia

Germany

Sweden

EU28

Hungary

Croatia

Austria

Cyprus

Finland

Spain

Italy

Czech Republic

UK

Poland

Portugal

Greece

40

43

41

41

38

43

35

38

40

43

36

38

41

41

39

38

40

42

45

43

40

41

41

40

43

36

45

46

48

39

41

39

38

35

40

32

34

36

39

32

34

37

37

35

34

34

37

40

37

34

35

35

34

37

29

38

38

40

-1

-2

-2

-3

-3

-4

-4

-4

-4

-4

-4

-4

-4

-4

-4

-5

-5

-5

-5

-6

-6

-6

-6

-6

-6

-7

-7

-8

-8

28

27

30

36

39

31

39

33

41

45

45

43

39

37

48

50

45

47

36

39

47

47

50

50

53

49

38

41

45

46

64

54

47

55

58

47

60

50

47

39

45

42

52

40

44

44

42

61

53

40

47

43

40

40

42

49

50

40

27

8

16

17

6

11

15

6

9

8

17

13

19

11

12

6

11

11

3

8

13

6

7

10

7

10

13

9

15

Note: Figures are for people in (paid) employment only. 
EQLS Q8. If you could freely choose the number of your working hours while taking into account the need to earn your living, 
how many hours per week would you prefer to work at present? If you would prefer not to work at all, indicate zero. Current 
working hours is based on adding responses to Q7 and Q7b: Q7. How many hours do you normally work per week in your 
main job, including any paid or unpaid overtime? Q7b. About how many hours per week did you work in this additional job or 
business or in agriculture? Please give an average figure for the last four working weeks.
Source: Based on analysis of EQLS microdata.

11 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

 
Satisfaction levels
In the EU28, people aged 50+ in employment 
who wish to work the same number of weekly 
hours as they currently do are relatively often 
satisfied with their jobs. Among people who are 
happy with their working hours, one in twenty 
(5%) is dissatisfied with their job, rating their job 
satisfaction  at  4  or  below,  on  a  scale  of  1–10. 
In contrast, among people who would prefer to 
work either more hours or fewer, about twice this 
proportion is dissatisfied with their jobs – 10% 
for those who would prefer to work more hours 
and  9%  for  those  who  would  prefer  to  work 
fewer. People aged 50+ who work exceptionally 
long  hours  (58  per  week)  experience  a  large 
mismatch  between  their  current  and  preferred 
hours,  wishing  to  reduce  their  working  week 
by more than 20 hours, and reporting their job 
satisfaction  to  be  particularly  low.  A  similar 
pattern can be observed among younger workers: 
those  who  would  like  to  work  more  hours  are 
often dissatisfied with their jobs – 14%. 

Overall,  people  aged  50+  enjoy  greater  job 
satisfaction. This may be explained in part by 
the  fact  that  it  is  more  common  for  people  in 
this age group to be satisfied with their working 
hours than other people (44% as against 41%). 
It is less common for them to want to work more 
hours (11% as against 15%), but about equally 
common for them to want to work fewer hours 
(45% as against 44%).

People  who  earn  higher  incomes  (who  on 
average work in higher-skilled jobs) tend to be 
more satisfied with their jobs than people with 
lower  incomes.  Nevertheless,  within  income 
groups, job satisfaction is very similar for people 
in different age groups (Figure 3). There is one 
exception:  at  all  levels  of  household  income, 
people aged 65 and over (in employment) are 
most satisfied with their job. 

Figure 3: Satisfaction with present job in 2011, by income quartile and age, EU28

Top quartile 

3rd quartile 

2nd quartile 

Bottom quartile 

9.0 

7.9 
7.8 
7.8 
7.9 

8.2 

7.4 
7.3 
7.3 
7.4 

7.1 
7.1 
7.0 
7.1 

7.0 
6.9 
7.0 

6.6 

8.6 

8.6 

65+ years 

50–64 years 

35–49 years 

25–34 years 

18–24 years 

0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Note: Q40. Could you please tell me on a scale of 1 to 10 how satisfied you are with each of the following items, where 1 means 
you are very dissatisfied and 10 means you are very satisfied?: b. Your present job.
Source: Based on analysis of EQLS microdata.

12

Working retirees
The statutory pension age varies across Member 
States, but almost all people aged 65 and over 
are  entitled  to  some  pension  in  the  EU28. 
Among 65–69 year-olds, more than one in ten is 
currently in employment, a proportion that has 
increased over the last decade (Figure 4). This 
increase in employment among the 65+ group is 
notable as, given the availability of income from 
pensions, this group might be expected to have 
less need to work. 

While  these  figures  reflect  an  increase  in 
employment rates since 2007, this seems to be 
the continuation of a long-standing trend rather 
than  a  sudden  surge  in  employment  among 
people aged 65+ struggling to make ends meet 
as a result of the financial and economic crisis 
(Figure  4).  Data  from  the  EQLS  support  this 
view.  If  older  people  stay  in  employment  just 

for  financial  reasons,  not  because  they  want 
to, they might be expected to be unhappy with 
their jobs and hence they would prefer not to 
work. For most people aged 65+, the opposite 
appears to be the case. 

One  likely  explanation  of  the  high  average 
levels of work satisfaction among people aged 
65+ is that it is those people who are satisfied 
with  their  work  –  or  can  adjust  their  jobs  to 
their  preferences  –  who  are  most  likely  to 
continue working when they reach the age of 
65. Of course, this may concern only a small 
proportion of those people aged 65+ who are 
particularly  satisfied  with  their  jobs,  which 
drives  up  the  average.  However,  the  data 
suggest this is not true: the proportion of people 
aged 65+ who are dissatisfied with their work 
is  8%,  only  one-third  the  proportion  among 
younger age groups.

Figure 4: Employment rates of 65–69 year-olds, EU28 (%)

11.1 

11.5 

11.0 

10.5 

10.0 

9.5 

9.0 

8.5 

8.0 

8.4 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

Note: For 2004–2006 some quarterly data are unavailable and have been extrapolated.
Source: Based on LFS data from online Eurostat database, accessed 21 September 2013. 

13 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

Data from the 2010 ESS overall support the view 
that  most  people  aged  50+  take  up  or  remain 
in  employment  for  reasons  beyond  the  purely 
financial. On average, in 22 of the 28 Member 
States for which the ESS provides data, 49% of 
15–49 year-olds in employment say they would 
enjoy working in their current job even if they 
did not need the money. This proportion rises 
among people aged 50+: for 50–64 year-olds it 
is 52%, and it is particularly high for those aged 
65+ (70%). 

People not in employment
Results from the EQLS indicate that in the EU28 
more than one in four (26%) people aged 50+ is 
in paid employment, whether salaried or self-
employed. However, a majority of people in this 
age group in the EU28 (58%) view themselves 
as  retired  while  7%  view  themselves  as  full-
time  homemakers.2  About  one  in  20  (5%)  is 
unemployed, with the proportion being almost 
twice  this  (9%)  among  the  younger  cohort  of 
50–64 year-olds. Some 3% are unable to work 

due to a long-term illness or disability, while the 
remainder either work (unpaid) on a family farm 
or business, are in education or are categorised 
under ‘other’ (altogether 1%).

Preferences of the unemployed
Among  the  unemployed,  almost  all  (98%)  say 
they  want  to  work  at  least  some  hours  per 
week.  This  figure  remains  the  same  even  for 
the  one  unemployed  person  in  five  who  lives 
in a household that is able to make ends meet 
easily, and the proportion is stable across age 
groups.  In  contrast,  for  people  aged  50+,  the 
willingness  to  work  does  vary  according  to  
whether  people  are  able  to  make  ends  meet 
easily or not. On average, unemployed people 
aged  50+  would  prefer  to  work  34  hours  per 
week, similar to the preferences of unemployed 
people  in  other  age  groups.  But  unemployed 
people  aged  50+  who  are  able  to  make  ends 
meet  easily  would  like  to  work  32  hours  on 
average (Figure 5), fewer than those who have 
difficulties making ends meet (35 hours).

Figure 5: Preferred weekly working hours of unemployed people, by difficulties in 
making ends meet and age, EU28
36 

36 

35 

35 

35 

34 

33 

32 

31 

30 

32 

Make ends meet easily 

Make ends meet 
with difficulty

Younger than 50 

50+ 

Note: Q58. A household may have different sources of income and more than one household member may contribute to it. 
Thinking of your household’s total monthly income: is your household able to make ends meet….? 1 Very easily, 2 Easily, 
3 Fairly easily, 4 With some difficulty, 5 With difficulty, 6 With great difficulty.
Source: Based on analysis of EQLS microdata.

2  If they are in receipt of some kind of pension, persons in employment may still identify themselves as retirees. However, the 
way in which EQLS asks people to identify which situation best describes them makes this unlikely: in the questionnaire, ‘at 
work as employee or employer/self-employed’ and ‘retired’ are mutually exclusive categories.

14

Preferences of retirees
While around half of retirees (47%) report no 
interest  in  taking  up  paid  employment,  just 
over  half  (53%)  would  like  to  work  at  least 
some hours (Figure 6). People who report bad 
health  are  less  likely  to  state  a  preference  for 
working than the average (48% doing so), while 
people with the highest level of education are 
more likely to do so (58%). More retired men 
aged 50+ want to work than do women  (55% 
as against 51%). And women more often prefer 
part-time employment than men: 49% of women 
as against 33% of men. Age also matters: 56% 
of  retirees  aged  between  60  and  69  would 
like  to  work,  compared  to  44%  of  those  aged 
between 70 and 79. On average, almost one in 
ten retirees aged 50+ has never had a paid job: 
4% of men and 12% of women. Among retirees 
aged 50+ who have never had a paid job, 51% 
would like to be engaged in paid employment, 
but the proportion who want to work part time 
is particularly high: 53%. 

It  is  important  to  note  that  the  EQLS  sample 
excludes  people  in  institutions,  such  as 
hospitals and nursing homes, and is thus likely 
to over-represent the healthier segment of the 
50+  population.  Nevertheless,  these  results 
from the EQLS suggest that there is a substantial 
potential for retirees to take up paid work.

What  do  other  surveys  say?  The  ESS  asked 
people aged 65+ in 22 of the 28 Member States 
whether  they  would  enjoy  having  a  paid  job 
even if they did not need the money: 50% said 
they would. For people aged 70 and over, the 
proportion  is  the  same.  These  proportions 
broadly  confirm  the  extent  of  the  potential 
for  working  identified  by  the  EQLS,  and 
confirm that non-financial motivations play an 
important role. 

In a Eurobarometer survey in 2011, one third 
(33%)  of  people  of  all  ages  in  the  then  EU27 

said they would like to continue working after 
reaching pensionable age – a smaller proportion 
than that found in the EQLS and ESS. However, 
this average figure of 33% increases with age, 
with  41%  of  people  aged  55+  saying  they 
would  like  to  continue  working  beyond  the 
pensionable age.

The  ESS  also  asks  people  who  are  currently 
retired whether they had wanted to retire or if 
they would have preferred to continue in paid 
employment.  Overall,  70%  of  retirees  aged 
50+ said they wanted to retire at the time they 
did, while 30% said they would have liked  to 
continue working. This 30% from the ESS is well 
below the proportion of retirees in the EQLS – 
for the same countries – expressing an interest 
in working for at least a few hours a week.  It 
seems that the proportion of respondents who 
would like to be engaged in paid employment 
now  is  higher  than  the  proportion  that  had 
said they wished to continue in their job after 
retirement. This suggests that some retirees may 
have  needed  a  break  from  their  job,  and  that 
some may have preferred to continue working 
at  a  different  intensity  and  with  a  different 
job content: for example, data from the EQLS 
indicate  that  most  retirees  would  prefer  not 
to work full time: 22% of retirees in the EU28 
would like to work 30 hours or fewer per week, 
while 31% would like to work 31 hours or more; 
only 19% would like to work 40 hours or more.

Retirees  whose  households  have  difficulty 
making  ends  meet  are  more  likely  to  want  to 
work than those whose households can make 
ends meet easily (58% as against 50%). Retirees 
in households having difficulties making ends 
meet are also more likely to want to work longer 
hours  than  those  in  households  that  make 
ends  meet  easily:  overall,  35%  say  that  they 
would like to work 31 hours or more per week, 
compared to 29% of those who can make ends 
meet easily.

15 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

Figure 6: Proportion of retirees who prefer certain weekly working hours, EU28 (%)

47 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

27 

9 

7 

6 

4 

1 

0 

1-10 

11-20 

21-30 

31-40 

41-50 

50+ 

EQLS Q8. If you could freely choose the number of your working hours while taking into account the need to earn your living, 
how many hours per week would you prefer to work at present? If you would prefer not to work at all, indicate zero. Current 
working hours is based on adding responses to Q7 and Q7b: Q7. How many hours do you normally work per week in your 
main job, including any paid or unpaid overtime? Q7b. About how many hours per week did you work in this additional job or 
business or in agriculture? Please give an average figure for the last four working weeks. 
Source: Based on analysis of EQLS microdata.

Working preferences of partners
Researchers generally agree that couples prefer 
to retire together, in large part because retirement 
is more enjoyable when it can be shared with 
a partner (Schellenberg and Ostrovsky, 2008). 
However,  the  evidence  to  date  has  often 
been  indirect,  gained  by  observing  retirement 
behaviour rather than asking people about their 
preferences.  The  EQLS  asks  respondents  how 
many  hours  per  week  their  partners  work,  as 
well as how many hours respondents would like 
their partners to work. The results from analysis 
of  these  preferences  arrive  at  rather  different 
conclusions.

In  the  EU28,  about  half  (53%)  of  all  people 
aged 50+ live with a partner. Here the focus is 
exclusively on partners aged 50+, regardless of 
the respondent’s age. 

If the partner is in employment, respondents are 
almost always happy that they work – in particular, 
if the respondents are in employment themselves 
(when 97% approve of their partner working) or if 
they are full-time homemakers (98%). Where the 
respondent is retired, they are a little more likely 
to  say  that  they  would  prefer  that  their  partner 
were not in employment; however, 92% of retired 
respondents  are  still  happy  that  their  partner 
works at least some hours (Figure 7). 

In  contrast,  respondents  are  less  likely  to  be 
happy with the situation if their partner is not 
in employment: 61% of full-time homemakers 
(almost  all  female)  would  prefer  their  partner 
to work. Among people who are employed but 
have a partner who is not, more than half (55%) 
would prefer their partner to be in work. Most 
respondents  who  are  retired  are  happy  with 
their  partners  not  being  in  employment,  but 
45% say they would prefer them to work at least 
some hours.

16

Figure 7: Proportion of people who would prefer their 50+ partners to work, EU28

100

97

92

98

55

45

61

50+ partner 
not employed 

50+ partner 
employed 

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Employed 

Retired 

Full-time
homemaker

Note: Q9. You mentioned that your partner lives in this household. How many hours does your partner normally work 
per week including any paid or unpaid overtime? Q10. How many hours per week would you prefer your partner to work? 
(Respondent could answer ‘none.)
Source: Based on analysis of EQLS microdata.

Looking  beyond  the  preferred  work  status  at 
the  preferred  number  of  working  hours  alters 
the  picture.  Respondents  who  are  happy  with 
their own employment status would prefer their 
(working)  partners  to  work  an  average  of  four 
fewer hours per week. Respondents who would 
like  their  non-working  partners  to  take  up 
paid  work  would,  on  average,  prefer  that  they 
work  between  31  hours  (where  respondents 
are  retired)  and  35  hours  per  week  (where 
respondents are full-time homemakers). Many 
respondents  with  partners  not  in  employment 
would  prefer  their  partners  to  work  only  part 
time.3 This is the case for 43% of retirees, and 
31%  of  employed  respondents.  In  the  case  of 
homemakers, most would prefer their partners 
to  work  35  hours  or  more  per  week,  and  only 
14% want them to work part time. 

The  EQLS  data  cannot  record  agreement 
between partners, because the question is asked 
only of the respondent. But the data do indicate 
that the desire to work among people 50+, both 
those in and out of employment, does not seem 
to be opposed by partners of people aged 50+.

Volunteers and carers

Volunteers
If  retirees  who  want  to  work  have  the 
opportunity to do so, they will have less time 
to  spend  on  other  activities.  Does  this  mean 
they  will  spend  less  time  on  volunteering? 
EQLS  data  indicate  that  29%  of  retirees  who 
would  like  to  take  up  paid  employment  are 
engaged  in  volunteering  –  16%  occasionally 
and 13% regularly (Figure 8). Retirees who do 
not want to take up paid employment are less 

3   Part-time work here is defined as 34 hours a week or fewer.

17 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

Figure 8: Proportions of 50+ who volunteer, by employment status and volunteering 
intensity, EU28 (%)

All people aged 50+ 

17

12

Working part time 

Working 

Working full-time 

Retirees who would 
like to work 

Retirees 

Retirees who prefer 
not to work 

26

25

25

16

13

13

16

13

14

13

12

12

Volunteers 
occasionally 

Volunteers
regularly 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Notes: Q22. How often did you do unpaid voluntary work through the following organisations in the last 12 months?
a. Community and social services (such as organisations helping the elderly, young people, disabled or other people in need), 
b. Educational, cultural, sports or professional associations, c. Social movements (for example environmental, human rights) 
or charities (for example fundraising, campaigning) d. Political parties, trade unions. e. Other voluntary organisations; 1. Every 
week, 2. Every Month, 3. Less often/occasionally, 4. Not at all. ‘Regularly’ encompasses answer categories ‘every week’ and 
‘every month’; ‘Occasionally’ describes ‘less often/occasionally’ in at least one type of organisation.
Source: Based on analysis of EQLS micro-data.

often  involved  in  volunteering  (25%  overall). 
People aged 50+ who are in employment (who 
are  generally  in  the  younger  age  cohort)  are 
more  likely  to  volunteer,  38%  doing  so,  but 
the  difference  is  mostly  explained  by  more 
frequent occasional volunteering (25%) rather 
than regular volunteering (13%). Volunteering 
is  particularly  common  among  people  aged 
50+  in  part-time  employment  (42%  of  whom 
volunteer), with a high proportion of occasional 
volunteers  (26%)  and  a  lower  proportion  of 
regular (16%) volunteers.

The majority (73%) of people aged 50+ indicate 
that they spend as much time as they would like 
on volunteering activities. Some 25% of people 
aged  50+  in  employment  would  like  to  spend 
more  time  volunteering;  however,  they  would 
also like to spend on average five fewer hours 
at work per week. For them, time spent on work 
and volunteering may compete, but their quality 
of life is likely to benefit by replacing some time 
spent on work by time spent on volunteering. 
The  10%  of  employed  people  aged  50+  who 
would like to spend less time on volunteering 
would  also  like  to  spend  fewer  hours  in  paid 
work – seven, on average.

18

Carers
Many people aged 50+ contribute to society by 
caring  for  children  or  grandchildren.  But  does 
providing this care prevent them from working? 
In the EU28, people aged 50+ in employment, 
who are generally in the younger age cohort, are 
actually more likely to be caring for grandchildren 
or  children  (56%  of  women  and  59%  of  men) 
than  retirees  of  the  same  age  (50%  of  women 
and 49% of men). Being younger, this group of 
people  aged  50+  in  employment  is  also  more 
likely  to  have  children  or  grandchildren  to 
care  for.  And  they  are  quite  heavily  involved 
in  childcare:  some  19%  of  men  aged  50+  in 
employment provide care at least several times 
a week for their children or grandchildren, while 
the figure is 20% for those who are retired. For 
women the reverse is true: 29% of those who are 
employed provide childcare, compared to 21% 
of those who are retired. 

With  increasing  life  expectancy,  people  aged 
50+ are also often caring for their parents or 
relatives with disabilities. There are differences 
between  Member  States,  but  in  the  intensity 
rather  than  in  the  frequency  of  caring:  the 
proportion of people caring for their parents is 
similar across the EU, but in countries where 
publicly  delivered  care  for  the  elderly  is  less 
available, more hours are spent per week on 
informal care (Herlofson et al, 2011). The EQLS 
finds  that,  among  people  aged  50+,  caring 
for  elderly  or  disabled  relatives  is,  overall, 
less  common  than  caring  for  grandchildren 
or  children,  and  there  is  a  smaller  gender 
difference. Just as with childcare, people aged 
50+ in employment are more likely to perform 
care activities for elderly or disabled relatives 
than those who are not: 31% of men and 36% 

of women in employment care for relatives, as 
against  16%  of  men  and  18%  of  women  not 
in employment. This difference holds even for 
relatively frequent care: 10% of men and 14% 
of women in employment care for relatives at 
least  several  times  a  week,  as  against  7%  of 
men  and  9%  of  women  not  in  employment. 
It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  the  gender 
difference  is  more  pronounced  for  people  in 
employment.

People  aged  50+  are  more  likely  to  care 
intensively for elderly or disabled relatives than 
younger people: 7% do so every day, compared 
to 5% of people younger than 50. However, they 
less  often  provide  care  every  day  for  children 
or  grandchildren:  15%,  compared  to  37%  of 
younger people. Nevertheless, providing elder 
care seems to be associated with more work–life 
balance problems than childcare: 21% of people 
who  care  every  day  for  elderly  or  disabled 
relatives report work–life balance conflict both 
at  work  and  home,  as  against  16%  of  people 
who care every day for children. 

Overall,  fewer  workers  aged  50+  experience 
conflict in their work–life balance than younger 
workers  (53%  as  against  58%).  This  may  be 
partly because part-time work is more common 
among  people  aged  50+  than  among  younger 
people. While 50% of part-time workers under 
50 reported difficulty in balancing work and life, 
for part-time workers aged 50+, the figure was 
41%.  A  higher  proportion  of  full-time  workers 
aged 50+ reported work–life balance problems 
than  younger  full-time  workers  –  60%  as 
against 56%. So it seems part-time work may be 
particularly important for workers aged 50+ in 
establishing a good work–life balance.

19 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

� Policy pointers

Policymakers  are  seeking  to  make  welfare 
systems  adequate  and  sustainable  by 
encouraging  people  to  remain  in  employment 
for  longer.  Restricting  early  retirement  and 
raising pension ages are important instruments 
for  achieving  this  goal.  However,  they  are 
succeeding  to  only  a  limited  extent,  as 
demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  some  groups  of 
workers are exiting the labour market well before 
they reach pensionable age. The data that emerge 
regarding work patterns and preferences can be 
used to create complementary instruments that 
stimulate longer working lives for people, while 
making their quality of life a policy priority. 

Facilitate  part-time  work:  The  results 
presented in this policy brief suggest that work 
satisfaction is key to longer working lives, both 
for low- and high-skilled jobs. For many older 
workers,  one  element  contributing  to  greater 
satisfaction is to work fewer hours. Furthermore, 
many of those not in employment who would 
like to work express a preference for part-time 

work. And rather than work full time, they may 
opt not to work at all since they generally work 
for  reasons  other  than  strict  financial  gain.  If 
policymakers  wish  to  keep  people  longer  in 
employment and to bring people aged 50+ back 
to the labour market, it is essential to facilitate 
a range of options for part-time work. 

Individualise working arrangements: A key 
finding  of  this  policy  brief  is  that  preferences 
with  regard  to  working  hours  differ  greatly 
among  people  aged  50+.  Some  important 
determinants  of  job  satisfaction  can  be 
expected  to  show  a  large  variation  between 
individuals  (such  as  the  content  of  the  work, 
or  start  and  finish  times).  Mutual  preferences 
should  be  explored  by  conducting  one-to-one 
conversations  with  employers  and  external 
actors (such as job agencies) aimed at revealing 
individual  preferences  and  facilitating  tailor-
made matches between the employee and their 
working conditions. This can lead to increased 
quality of life and enhanced work motivation.

20

Facilitate caring and part-time employment: 
People  aged  50+  who  are  caring  for  a  child, 
grandchild  or  disabled  adult  often  want  to 
work  but  rarely  want  to  work  full  time.  They 
may engage in paid work only if it is possible 
to  combine  it  with  their  care  responsibilities. 
Employment offers a range of benefits to carers: 
limited hours of paid work can help them make 
ends  meet,  can  provide  intrinsic  satisfaction, 
enhance  social  inclusion,  boost  their  quality 
of life and enable them to continue providing 
quality care. 

Different forms of state and employer support 
may  be  offered  to  assist  people  caring  for 
family  members;  however,  these  tend  more 
to  supporting  workers  who  are  providing 
childcare  –  in  general,  younger  workers. 
Support  for  people  aged  50+  providing  care 
for partners or elderly parents is generally less 
available, although conflict between work and 
other  aspects  of  life  is  common  for  people  in 
this situation. Expanding and creating forms of 
support to facilitate this group of carers would 
benefit  a  growing  segment  of  the  population, 
and facilitate longer working lives.

Adjust the occupational role to the worker: 
Career  choices  taken  earlier  in  life  influence 
a  person’s  capacity  and  preferences  for 
working later in life. For many, this may mean 
continuing  to  work  in  the  area  in  which  they 
have  built  expertise.  Research  findings  show 
that  while  many  retirees  would  have  liked  to 
continue  in  their  jobs,  others  may  wish  to  do 
something different, such as becoming a coach 
or a mentor. Facilitating such roles would foster 
employment  among  people  aged  50+,  while 
simultaneously  helping  to  integrate  younger 
people into the labour market.

Enable  entrepreneurship:  Entering  or  re-
entering the labour market can be particularly 
challenging  for  people  aged  50+.  One  way  to 
encourage people to work longer is to facilitate 
entrepreneurship.  This  form  of  work  allows 
people to shape their own working conditions 

(Eurofound,  2012b).  However,  older  workers 
may  need  training  and  support  to  engage  in 
entrepreneurship. 

Similar  to  measures  that  stimulate  coaching 
or  mentoring  roles,  measures  stimulating 
entrepreneurship  are  relatively  easy  to 
implement  as  they  both  have  the  potential 
to  integrate  younger  workers  into  the  labour 
market,  respectively  by  reducing  skills  gaps 
and by creating jobs. They are thus unlikely to 
face resistance from the work floor and society 
because  of  perceived  competition  between 
younger and older workers. 

Facilitate work for those who want to work 
beyond  the  retirement  age:  An  increasing 
proportion  of  people  work  beyond  the  age  at 
which they are entitled to a pension. The results 
presented here confirm earlier findings that the 
majority of them carry on working for reasons 
beyond  financial  need  alone  (Eurofound, 
2012b).  However,  many  encounter  barriers 
when trying to do so, in terms of discrimination 
and  stereotypes,  administration,  pension 
and  tax  regulation,  as  well  as  general  labour 
market  conditions.  Eurofound’s  analysis  of 
the  EQLS,  supported  by  analysis  of  the  ESS, 
has established that about half of retirees who 
are  not  engaged  in  paid  work  would  prefer  to 
be  working.  Furthermore,  the  desire  to  work 
is most prevalent among people who have the 
best chances in the labour market: those in good 
health, with high levels of education, who are 
in younger age cohorts and have previous work 
experience.  Further  investigation  is  needed  to 
understand the type of work these retirees would 
like to do and would be capable of undertaking. 
However,  the  numbers  are  too  large  for 
policymakers to ignore, especially when seeking 
to boost employment, increase contributions to 
social security systems and improve quality of 
life. 

It is important to facilitate employment in such 
a way that everyone – individuals and society – 
benefits.  For  instance,  one  way  to  motivate 

21 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

people to carry on working past retirement age 
is to enable them to postpone pension payments 
or to take partial retirement in the perspective 
of larger payments in the future. First, this will 
discourage undeclared work as there is a clear 
incentive  to  declare  ones  income.  Second, 
postponing  pensions  rather  than  enabling 
earnings  in  addition  to  full  pensions  avoids 
a situation whereby pensioners accept very low 
wages, possibly creating unfair competition with 
younger workers not in receipt of a pension. 

Promote  forms  of  volunteering: This policy 
brief has focused on preferences for employment, 
but volunteering does not necessarily interfere 

with people’s engagement in paid work. Indeed, 
volunteering  brings  a  number  of  the  same 
benefits that encourage people to work: it can 
help people remain healthy and active, integrate 
socially, contribute to society and keep learning. 
Options for volunteering in an area of interest 
may exist, but retirees may not be aware they are 
available to them. Well-structured organisations 
and accessible databases mapping volunteering 
opportunities  can  help.  The  benefits  of 
volunteering for individuals and society should 
be highlighted, with greater appreciation shown 
to those who already volunteer, and to encourage 
people aged 50+ to consider volunteering – even 
while already in employment.

22

Further reading

All Eurofound publications are available at www.eurofound.europa.eu

Eurofound  (1997),  Combating  age  barriers  in  employment,  Publications  Office  of  the  European 
Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2002), Working time preferences in sixteen European countries, Publications Office of the 
European Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2006), A guide to good practice in age management, Publications Office of the European 
Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2008), Working conditions of an ageing workforce, Publications Office of the European 
Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2011), Volunteering by older people in the EU, Publications Office of the European Union, 
Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2012a), Sustainable work and the ageing workforce, Publications Office of the European 
Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2012b), Income from work after retirement in the EU, Publications Office of the European 
Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2012c), Third European Quality of Life Survey – Quality of life in Europe: Impacts of the 
crisis, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2013), The impacts of the crisis on access to healthcare services in the EU, Dublin.

Eurofound (2014, forthcoming), Demographic change and policies for the reconciliation of work and 
care.

European Commission (2010), ‘Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’, 
COM (2010) 2020 final, Brussels.

European  Commission  (2011),  Active  Ageing  report,  Special  Eurobarometer  378,  Wave  EB76.2, 
Brussels.

European  Commission  (2012),  ‘White  paper:  An  agenda  for  adequate,  safe  and  sustainable 
pensions’, COM(2012) 55 final, Brussels.

European  Commission  (2013),  Evidence  on  demographic  and  social  trends  –  Social  policies’ 
contribution to inclusion, employment and the economy, Brussels. 

Eurostat (2014), LFS data from online database. Accessed March 2014.

Herlofson,  K.,  Hagestad,  G.,  Slagsvold,  B.  and  Sørensen,  A.M.  (2011),  Intergenerational  family 
responsibility and solidarity in Europe, NOVA, Norway. 

Schellenberg, G. and Ostrovsky, Y. (2008), ‘Retiring together, or not’, Perspectives on Labour and 
Income, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 5–11.

Wielers,  R.,  Münderlein,  M.  and  Koster,  F.  (2014),  ‘Part-time  work  and  work  hour  preferences: 
An international comparison’, European Sociological Review, Vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 76–89.

23 / Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50  – 3rd EQLS policy brief

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‘Demographic  change  can,  among  other  things,  be  successfully 

tackled through a positive lifecourse approach that focuses on the 

potential of all generations and particularly of older age groups. 

Action is needed to enable both women and men to remain active 

as workers, consumers, carers, volunteers, and citizens and to preserve 

the solidarity between generations.’

Council Declaration on the European Year 
for Active Ageing and Solidarity between 
Generations (2012): The Way Forward 

Brussels, 7 December 2012

Foundation Findings provide pertinent background information 
and policy pointers for all actors and interested parties engaged 
in  the  current  European  debate  on  the  future  of  social  policy. 
The  contents  are  based  on  Eurofound  research  and  reflect  its 
autonomous and tripartite structure.

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions 
(Eurofound)

Wyattville Road
Loughlinstown
Dublin 18
Ireland
Telephone: (+353 1) 204 31 00
Email: information@eurofound.europa.eu
Web: www.eurofound.europa.eu

EF/14/03/EN