Ageing populations reduce the expected labour supply over the coming decades. In response, many countries are taking measures, such as raising the pension eligibility age and encouraging employers to retain workers beyond it. Stimulating female labour force participation by removing barriers to full-time work is also increasingly discussed as a potential way to offset reduced labour supply. We study how people make decisions about their labour force participation over the life course, and how these decisions are affected by the contexts in which they are made. In addition, we look at the consequences of these decisions for various outcomes such as health, well-being, income and social participation. We also study how employers deal with the challenges of an ageing workforce. To answer our research questions, we regularly collect data among workers and employers: the NIDI Pension Panel Survey followed 6,500 older workers, their spouses from 2015 to 2023. Additionally, we use the LISS-panel to carry out focused studies on topics like female labour supply, flexible employment among youth, and the consequences of pension system reforms. The focus of our research is interdisciplinary, combining insights from labour economics, sociology, psychology, and health sciences.
What are we working on?
Our projects address a wide range of issues related to the labour market and the challenges tied to an ageing population. In the projects The New Role of Households and Organizations in the Retirement Process and Healthy Pathways to Retirement we examine how older workers strive to remain productive until their retirement, and how retirement decisions are made within couples. In The Causes and Consequences of Retirement, we study how older workers plan, live and experience their retirement. The position of migrant workers and retirees is studied by two KNAW-GAK-award winners. How young people from different social background shape their life course is studied in The Life Course of the Young in the 21st Century. Finally, the Meer Uren Werkt! project studies barriers preventing employees from working more hours, to enable those who want to work more to do so. This project is a unique collaboration between the government and academic partners, including Utrecht University, Radboud University, and the NIDI. This project is funded by the National Growth Fund.
