Labour market policies aimed at continuing to work after retirement age: an international perspective

Continuing to work after retirement is becoming increasingly common, and there is a growing trend towards a smooth transition between working life and retirement. In an international comparative perspective, we use complementary research methods – literature review, in-depth interviews, data analysis of large-scale data and a vignette experiment – to address the following questions 1) What does labour market policy aimed at continuing to work after retirement age look like in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Sweden? 2) what changes have taken place over the past 15 years and what effect have they had on continuing to work after retirement, 3) how the opportunities and drawbacks of continuing to work are dealt with, 4) whether and to what extent displacement occurs, and 5) to what extent part-time self-employment is an attractive option for older people to continue working and for employers to keep older people in work. The project will result in a policy report with a press release for a broad audience, a policy-oriented summary with infographics for policymakers, publications in Dutch policy journals, papers in international scientific journals, and a concluding workshop where we will bring together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders.

Funded by: Instituut GAK

Duration: March 2025 - December 2026