Employment Retention and Re-Entry Among Older Women: Do Health and Caring Roles Matter?

22 Pages Posted: 12 Oct 2009

See all articles by Siobhan Austen

Siobhan Austen

Curtin University of Technology - Curtin Business School - School of Economics and Finance; Curtin University of Technology - Centre for Research in Applied Economics; Cutin University of Technology - Women in Social and Economic Research (WiSER)

Rachel Ong

Curtin University - Centre for Research in Applied Economics; Curtin University - School of Economics and Finance

Abstract

This paper analyses the probabilities of employment retention and re-entry by older workers, focusing on older women whose representation in the workforce is growing as the population ages but whose employment outcomes have been under-researched compared to older men. We find that older women are less likely than older men to retain employment or re-enter employment. Our regression results show that if health worsens or care hours increase, an older woman’s chance of retaining employment falls. However, improvements in health and/or reductions in care roles do not increase the chances of an unwaged woman returning to work.

Keywords: older workers, employment, health, care effects, ageing, longitudinal studies

JEL Classification: J00

Suggested Citation

Austen, Siobhan and Ong, Rachel, Employment Retention and Re-Entry Among Older Women: Do Health and Caring Roles Matter?. Australian Conference of Economists 2009 Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1487331 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1487331

Siobhan Austen

Curtin University of Technology - Curtin Business School - School of Economics and Finance ( email )

GPO Box U 1987
Perth, Western Australia 6845
Australia

Curtin University of Technology - Centre for Research in Applied Economics ( email )

GPO Box U1987
Perth, Western Australia 6845
Australia

Cutin University of Technology - Women in Social and Economic Research (WiSER) ( email )

GPO Box U 1987
Perth, Western Australia 6845
Australia

Rachel Ong (Contact Author)

Curtin University - Centre for Research in Applied Economics ( email )

GPO Box U1987
Perth, Western Australia 6845
Australia

Curtin University - School of Economics and Finance ( email )

GPO Box U 1987
Perth, Western Australia 6845
Australia

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