Retiring in a New Age: Life after Paid Work

by Russell D. Lansbury, Marian Baird

Overview

This book examines the concept of retirement, how it has changed, and what the future holds for the next generation of retirees.

The book analyses government data and university surveys of more than 1,000 retirees in Australia and 4,000 retirees in Sweden, as well as in-depth interviews with retirees in each country. It demonstrates that while both countries have differences in their retirement policies and practices, as well as the outcomes for retirees, the process of retirement is undergoing change in both countries as people retire at a range of ages, but often then re-enter the workforce for various reasons. The book proposes four distinctive post-retirement orientations: Stayers, Leavers, Blenders and Disengaged retirees. It then discusses how individuals, employers and governments are responding to the challenges of ‘retiring in a new age’, suggesting policies and a new social contract for retirees that addresses their needs for economic security, physical and mental health, as well as engagement with the wider community.

A book of keen interest to scholars of employment and work relations, human resource management, as well as labour economics. Policymakers and students interested in employment issues that affect economic and social equality will also find the book’s framework fit for use. A full set of interview transcripts and discussion questions is available on the Routledge webpage for download: www.routledge.com/9781041118329

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041118329
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/03/2025
Series:	Routledge Focus on Business and Management
Pages:	116
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Russell D. Lansbury AO FASSA is Emeritus Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Sydney, where he also served as Associate Dean of Research. Russell holds a PhD from the London School of Economics. He has been a Senior Fulbright Scholar at MIT. His publications include Crossing Boundaries: Work and Industrial Relations in Perspective, Routledge, 2023.

Marian Baird AO FASSA is Professor of Gender and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney, where she served as Head of Department from 2016 to 2022. Marian holds a PhD from The University of Sydney. Her publications include The Multigenerational Workforce: Managing Age and Gender at Work, Palgrave Macmillan, 2024 and At a Turning Point: Work, Care and Family Policies in Australia, Sydney University Press, 2024.

Table of Contents

Synopsis

Authors’ biographies

Foreword: Barry O. Jones AC

Ch 1. Introduction

Ch 2. What’s retiring all about?

Ch 3. Retiring in Australia: what do we know?

Ch 4. Retiring in Sweden: what can we learn?

Ch 5. Managing the transition to retirement

Ch 6. What advice do retirees have about retiring?

Ch 7. Retiring: looking to the future

Afterword by Professor Emerita Lotte Bailyn

Bibliography

Appendix A: Summaries of interviews with retirees

Appendix B: Interview questions put to retirees

Appendix C: Questions to consider ahead of retirement

Acknowledgements

Editorial Reviews

‘Retirement is not what it used to be! We are now both younger and older when we retire. In this fine and revealing book, Russell D. Lansbury and Marian Baird show us that we have different post-retirement orientations. Retiring in a New Age analyses data primarily from Australia and Sweden. The book is based on an excellent mix of quantitative and qualitative data ensuring a varied and pleasurable read. For academics, policymakers, as well as future retirees, Retiring in a New Age is both informative and valuable.’

Soren Kaj Andersen, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Research on Work and Employment Relations, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

‘Retiring in a New Age focuses on a very important and interesting subject, the working life of the elderly, which is generally far too understudied. The book provides both empirical data and theoretical discussions. It reveals that there are great societal benefits in having a working life where older people not only can retire with dignity, good finances and good health. We can also continue to work in different ways: as ‘stayers’ who continue in their profession as long as they can or as ‘blenders’ who blend work with non-work and new areas of interest.’

Lena Abrahamsson, Professor of Human Work Science and former Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden

‘As retirement increasingly becomes a more active phase of life, Lansbury and Baird have written a very timely book that uses interview data with retirees in Australia and Sweden to increase our understanding of what it takes to have an effective retirement. Retiring in a New Age serves as a key guide for retirees and makes an outstanding contribution to the retirement literature.’

Peter Berg, Professor and former Director, School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, Michigan State University.

‘Retiring in a New Age is a very timely and thorough analysis of how retiring is being transformed from a one-time shift from work and career to a more gradual transition that varies across people and over time. Excellent use is made of comparative data and experiences of retiring in Australia and Sweden and interviews with retirees to illustrate how personal choices and needs, as well as national policies, shape or constrain the paths taken by women and men embedded in different economic circumstances and cultural norms. It reveals that there is no one best way to proceed, but a set of options for staying active in work, family activities, and community affairs that can keep us healthy and useful to those around us as we age. Most importantly, the authors use their data and analysis to suggest how our societies could fashion a new social contract to ensure that everyone can enjoy retiring with the dignity and security they have earned. This is an extremely valuable contribution that will help us all reflect on, and perhaps even alter, the choices we make as we navigate through this stage of our lives.’

Thomas A. Kochan, Professor Emeritus, MIT Sloan School of Management and Institute for Work and Employment Research; co-author of Shaping the Future of Work: A Handbook for Action and a New Social Contract, Routledge, New York, 2021

‘Retiring in a New Age is a landmark study of retiring in Australia and Sweden drawing on research evidence from interviews and surveys in each country. The authors reveal the changing nature of retirement and examine the economic, health and social factors which help make an effective transition to retirement. They indicate how individuals, employers and governments can respond positively to the challenges of ‘retiring in a new age’. A very good read!’

David Morawetz, Counselling Psychologist and former Economic Consultant to the World Bank

‘Retiring in a New Age provides a refreshingly positive and practical perspective on the challenges and opportunities posed by the transition towards retirement in the developed and developing countries in the 21^st century. Using empirical data from Australia and Sweden, it reconceptualises retirement as the next life stage based upon the three ‘pillars’ of economic security, physical and mental health, and social engagement and participation. It is both an academic work and an invaluable resource to guide governments, employers and retirees themselves to optimise their wellbeing, satisfaction and societal contributions in their retirement years. Its strengths lie in its accessible language, its seamless integration of theory and practice, and the personal experiences of actual retirees.’

Alan Nankervis, Adjunct Professor of Human Resource Management, Curtin University, Western Australia, and University of Southampton, Malaysia

‘Retiring in a New Age argues persuasively for a new social contract to ensure that older Australians are able to retire with dignity and security. Retirement, or more aptly as the authors demonstrate, the ‘process of retiring’, is in urgent need of rethinking as the old fixed age model is clearly broken. Based on extensive comparative research, the book explores the wide range of retirees’ orientations and the diverse contexts in which they make choices. It is a timely and critical book for the age we live in.’

Judy Wajcman, Professor Emerita and former Anthony Giddens Chair of Sociology, London School of Economics; author of Pressed for Time: The Acceleration of Life in Digital Capitalism, Chicago Press, 2015

From the Publisher