Retirement, Activity, and Subjective Well-Being in Israel and the Unites States

The purpose of the present study is to examine continuity and change in post-retirement leisure, and the relationship of such patterns to subjective well-being (SWB) in two national contexts. National data sets from the US (N=430) and Israel (N=383) are used to examine changes in leisure participation and their impact on SWB. Results indicate that in the US there is a general inclination toward continuity, while in Israel there are significant increases in rates and frequency of participation. In Israel some changes in activity are associated with life satisfaction, while in the US no such association is found. These differences are discussed in light of the higher pre-retirement participation in leisure activities in the US and the possibility that adjustment to retirement may be easier in more leisure-oriented societies.