Self-defined Retirement Status and Engagement in Paid Work Among Older Working-age Women: Comparison Between Childless Women and Mothers

From changes in retirement laws and incentives many people, including working women, can decide when to retire based on their own preferences and needs. Family structure and familial roles are a major issue of when people will decide to retire, especially if considering women. Differences between women without children and those with children that are no longer living at home, and the likelihood of retirement among people of the two groups, is assessed. The author, also considers those women that take part in bridge jobs as a path to retirement. Detailed demographic findings comparing and contrasting those women with children living at home, those women with children not living at home, and those women who are childless, are given. Analyses of the data showed that women with children living at home were the least likely to claim retirement. Over the 2 years of data studied none of the three groups showed a change in their work status. The author feels that retirement is becoming a symbol of status, rather than a symbol that one has served in the workforce for many years and is now withdrawn