Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to examine the labor force participation rate of 55- to 64-year-olds across countries and by gender on the basis of Esping-Andersen's typology of welfare states. The author investigated the influence of a country's socioeconomic characteristics on work participation using data from nine Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries from 1984 to 2001. The results show that classifying countries according to Esping-Andersen's typology provides insight into how a set of country-level socioeconomic conditions and policies may influence individual work decisions. The results also show that men and women respond differently to economic and demographic changes at the country level. Conclusions imply that policy interventions to reverse patterns of early retirement need to consider country-level economic and demographic characteristics and their interaction, along with policies that would change financial incentives facing individuals.
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