Research project This project examines the growing labour market of non-standard employment (NSE) tailored for working retirees. Despite the rise of these precarious forms of NSE and efforts to extend working lives, there is limited understanding of the prerequisites for and conditions of work in such roles. Using a life-course perspective, the project explores how employment events and trajectories shape pathways into NSEs and experiences of working conditions, such as job autonomy, income, and work environment
In this project, we examine the prerequisites and working conditions for working retirees with non-standard employment (NSE) in the temporary staffing sector. In the societal strive for a prolonged working life, NSEs tailored for working retirees, i.e. on-demand work, are becoming increasingly common and a contemporary feature of a labour market segment on the rise.
NSEs present both opportunities and challenges for older workers. They offer flexibility and additional income, serving as a bridge to retirement. However, NSEs also come with greater job insecurity, potentially poorer working conditions, and increased stress. While NSEs may be necessary for some older adults to avoid old age poverty, the impact of these employments on this demographic is less studied. Most research on temporary, on-demand, and gig work focuses on younger workers at earlier career stages, who differ from older workers in terms of human capital, employment experiences, and economic dependence. This raises questions about how NSEs affect this age group and the applicability of existing findings to their circumstances.
With a life course perspective, we will use a mixed-methods approach to contrast statistical trends with individual narratives to uncover unique patterns and relationships. This includes analyses of employment history, job autonomy, gender and socioeconomic inequalities, health, work fulfilment, and the employee-employer relationship. Two overarching research questions are addressed: (1) How does the employment history of working retirees shape trajectories towards non-standard employment in the temporary staffing sector? and (2) How do working retirees experience the working conditions of non-standard employment, such as job autonomy, income, work safety, health, motives, work fulfilment, and the employee-employer relationship?
The project combines quantitative (survey and registers) and qualitative (in-depth interviews) data. By doing so, the project contributes to a broader understanding of the societal implications arising from prolonged working life and the changing working arrangements in the Swedish labour market. The significance of this research is vital to ensure an equitable, long and sustainable working life for both younger and older people, as well as offer insights for designing targeted policies that support the well-being, economic stability and work safety of older workers in the new employment landscape.
