Subjective well-being after transition to retirement

Researcher: Dr. Valentina Ponomarenko
Departement: Monitoring Society and Social Change, German Microdata Lab

Abstract

The transition from working life to retirement is linked to a number of changes. In addition to changes in day-to-day routines, the social environment and the identity of an individual are also affected by these changes. This change can have both positive and negative consequences for life satisfaction. The current state of research presents evidence of both decline and improvement in life satisfaction with retirement. At the same time, there are studies that are unable to determine any influence of retirement on life satisfaction. It is apparent that development of life satisfaction depends largely on the employment situation of the respondents and on the conditions of their retirement. The following contribution provides an insight into the current research regarding the short and long-term consequences of retirement. A long-term view of the psychological consequences of retirement is limited to a few countries. With the data available from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), differences between European countries can be identified.

Runtime

September 2019  – January 2020

Publication:

Ponomarenko, Valentina (2020): Die Lebenszufriedenheit nach dem Rentenübertritt. Eine Übersicht über die langfristige Entwicklung mit europäischen Daten. Informationsdienst Soziale Indikatoren: ISI: Im Erscheinen.

Presentation:

Ponomarenko, Valentina (2019): What happens after the honeymoon? The development of subjective well-being after the transition to retirement. ECSR Annual Conference 2019, Lausanne.