Barriers and Facilitators of Re-Employment among Senior Workers: Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Re-entering the labour market after a period of unemployment can be challenging for seniors. This study investigates personal as well as circumstantial barriers and facilitators of re-employment. Unemployed seniors in Denmark (≥50 years, n = 1636) from the first wave (mid-2018) of the SeniorWorkingLife study were prospectively followed until March 2020 in national registers on labour market participation. Using weighted logistic-regression-modelled odds ratios (ORs), we estimated the association between personal and circumstantial factors at baseline and re-employment during follow-up. During follow-up, 28% re-entered paid employment. The desire to have a job (reference: not having the desire to have a job) increased the likelihood of re-employment (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.14–4.85). Contrastingly, a higher age (60–63 vs. 50–54 years; OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16–0.79) and poor health (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.16–0.61) decreased the likelihood of re-employment. Sex, education and belief that age constitutes a barrier to re-employment were not associated with the likelihood of re-employment. Unemployed seniors desiring to have a job are more likely to get a job. However, a higher age and poor health are important barriers that should be taken into account, e.g., by ensuring employment opportunities for these groups in society.

Social Networks, New Technologies, and Wellbeing—An Interview Study on Factors Influencing Older Adults’ Successful Ageing

“…In contemporary findings, success is linked to beneficial assets deriving from an individual’s activity [ 7 ]. Success is often measured in terms of economic accomplishments [ 8 ]. Contemporary understandings of the term go beyond the financial outcomes to refer to more complex issues [ 9 ].…”