Reconstructing Retirement

Book excerpt: In the United Kingdom, retirement programs are being reconstructed to follow the American practice of abolishing mandatory retirement and increasing state pension ages. This timely book compares prospects for work and retirement at age sixty five-plus in both the United States and the United Kingdom. After exploring the shifting logic behind both nations' policies--policies that increase both the need and opportunities to work past age sixty five--David Lain presents an original comparative statistical analysis on the wide range of factors influencing employment at this age, from the ability to move between jobs in order to remain employed to changing employment trends. He then proposes a series of policies to address these factors across the life-course and promote security and autonomy for older people. Pathways to employment after sixty five are complex, and pressures to work at this age are likely to result in very unequal outcomes. This book will play a vital role in creating a more positive, more equitable future for late careers and retirement.