Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Changes in the retirement income landscape over the apst 30 years have left older Americans more exposed to market forces than prior generations, and more reliant on earnings to ensure their financial stability. The source of earnings comes in many forms, including phased retirement, bridge jobs, retirement and later re-entry, and self-employment, which rises in importance as older Americans age. We argue that these diverse pathways to retirement are good news on balance; however, for some, these job changes reflect hardship, as vulnerable populations seek employment to prevent falling into poverty at older ages. We analyze these issues using data from the Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing nationally-representative longitudinal survey of older Americans that began in 1992.