Ageing, Work and Welfare series – serie

This prescient book provides a theoretical and empirical analysis of retirement practices in Denmark, Germany and the UK. Per H. Jensen interrogates the factors behind rapidly increasing retirement ages in these countries between 2000 and 2018. Drawing on the age arrangement approach, Rapidly Increasing Retirement Ages considers the position of older workers in the context of changing norms and ideals, discourses, welfare states, labour markets, and families as well as the changing characteristics of older workers themselves. Jensen uses statistical data to highlight how the developing practices of older workers are prompted by societal transitions from an early to late exit age arrangement. This includes transitions from early to late exit discourses, from welfare states to enabling states, from closed to open labour markets, from male breadwinner to dual breadwinner family models, and from low to high levels of work ability among older workers. In addition Jensen shows how the different dimensions of change are connected and interrelated. Intersectional in its scope, this book posits an illuminating, comprehensive and much-needed response to this growing societal issue. This book is a vital read for academics, researchers and students of sociology, social policy, economics, welfare policy and political science. Providing a thorough examination of older workers in modern society, this book is also of benefit to practitioners and policymakers working in business management, public policy and social welfare.