The changing geographies of old-age employment in Sweden 1990–2021

As populations age, many countries are raising retirement ages and encouraging longer working lives. In Sweden, where old-age employment rates are already high, questions remain about how these patterns vary across regions and labour market segments. This article provides a comprehensive overview of old-age employment trends from 1990 to 2021, using detailed population register data. While employment among older adults has increased steadily, spatial variation is surprisingly limited. Instead, differences are more evident across types of employment and firm sizes, with self-employment more prevalent in urban areas and public sector and smaller firms gaining importance for older workers in rural regions. The findings suggest that local economic conditions only play a limited role in old-age employment. Rather than confirming strong spatial divides, this study challenges common assumptions about regional economic differences and raises important questions for future research on the intersections of ageing, work, and geography.