Predictors of Retirement

Predictors of retirement among men were analyzed using data from seven longitudinal studies, multiple definitions of retirement, multivariate analyses, and unbiased statistical techniques. Results show that the predictors of retirement vary depending on how retirement is defined. The strongest predictors of objective retirement among men over age 65 (i.e., employed less than full-time and receiving a pension) are structural factors such as socioeconomic status and job characteristics. The strongest predictors of early retirement (i.e., retiring before age 65) and of age at retirement include both structural factors and subjective factors, characteristics are more important predictors than all the others combined.