His way, her way: Retirement timing among dual-earner couples

This article examines how the retirement timing of husbands and wives has evolved in the face of women's rising economic resources. Using 11 waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study, I trace individuals into retirement, examining how spousal employment characteristics may facilitate or hinder one's own ability to retire and if such spousal influences have changed across cohorts. Results from event history models indicate that the retirement trajectories have changed for the leading baby boom cohort, as evidence implies they are delaying retirement longer than previous cohorts. Despite women's rising labor force attachment, the findings do not generally support the notion that wives are influencing their husbands' retirement timing more or that the influence of husbands on wives' retirement timing has declined across cohorts.