Work and Nonwork Predictors of Employees’ Retirement Ages

Abstract

In a study of the likely causes of retirement decisions, 197 older employees of a state government and their spouses were surveyed as they were getting ready to retire. Data also were collected from the employees’ personnel records. Holding finances, gender, and health constant, a set of work characteristics (especially being tired of working) and a set of nonwork characteristics (personal characteristics and expected retirement activities) that were conceptualized as potentially inducing employees to retire each provided a unique contribution of about 10% of the variance to expected retirement age.