The Bridge to Retirement: Older Workers’ Engagement in Post-Career Entrepreneurship and Wage-and-Salary Employment

Abstract

Older workers’ choice of bridging employment (self-employment and wage-and-salary employment) was surveyed. Health status was found to be the only shared factor positively influencing both work commitment and the intention to work. Other than the aforementioned, those choosing entrepreneurship or wage-and-salary employment exhibited different demographics and answered dissimilar psycho-social needs. In terms of demographics, self-employed older workers included more unmarried, female respondents, whereas significantly more married males occupied wage-and-salary positions. In terms of psycho-social factors, the commitment and intention to work in the self-employed were significantly associated with responding to needs for personal fulfilment and independence. In contrast, those choosing wage-and-salary employment were significantly responding to needs for generativity, continued contribution, work connection and new experiences