Over the past two decades, labourforce participation rates of older workers decreased in all OECD countries. Early retirement and disability are the most important explanations. The central question addressed in this article is the role part-time employment for older workers (gradual retirement) can play in reversing this downward trend, by reducing the number of early withdrawals from the labourforce, thus easing future financial problems resulting from demographic changes. This article considers what can be learned from experience and policies in Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands and Sweden.
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