The economics of flexible retirement

The Economics of Flexible Retirement is an examination of the economic implications of changing trends in retirement. Using material from a wide range of contemporary sources, this book looks at the attitudes of both employers and employees to the issue of employing older people. Despite ageing populations and major changes in employment in industrialized countries, attitudes to work and retirement still derive largely from past employment practices. There is widespread age discrimination which can result in insecurity and unemployment, or 'early retirement'. A wide range of responses to retirement are recorded, drawn from press reports, surveys and interviews. Most people welcome the increased freedom, but many find the loss of status, friendships and money difficult to cope with. Financial planning for retirement is inadequate and employer preparation is generally insignificant. The Economics of Flexible Retirement concludes by looking at how the underutilized resource of a mature workforce might be best exploited. It makes a case for genuinely flexible retirement suitable for individual needs and circumstances. This would lead to major cultural changes in employment relations and would have significant implications for governments and economies. Economists, demographers and other social scientists will find that this book makes a valuable contribution to the current debate on retirement and the ageing workforce.