Retirement trajectories are a function of wages and the types of nonwage job characteristics available to older workers. We study data on job-characteristic preferences and their dependence on age and proximity to retirement. This work will provide valuable information about which characteristics are valued by individuals at different stages of their working lives. We will also collect data on job transitions, which we will use to examine whether individuals transition to jobs with the characteristics that they value. If the preferences of older individuals are less predictive of future job transitions relative to younger workers, that evidence will be consistent with older workers being unable to find the types of jobs they want.
Understanding Job Transitions and Retirement Expectations Using Stated Preferences for Job Characteristics
Nicole Maestas, Kathleen J. Mullen, David Powell,2019