Extending Working Lives: A Systematic Review of Healthy Working Life Expectancy at Age 50

Retirement ages for receipt of state/social pensions are rising in many countries in response to population ageing and increasing life expectancy. However, sickness absence and early retirement for health reasons (especially among adults aged ≥ 50) present challenges to this. Estimates of the average number of years people are both healthy and in work from age 50 are needed to inform policy making and assess the feasibility of policy changes. A systematic review was carried out to identify existing population indicators, and estimates, of life expectancy in health and work. Nine databases were systematically searched on the 30th January 2019. Eligible papers were identified using inclusion/exclusion criteria. Evidence synthesis was undertaken to explore indicators and estimates. Four studies were included for review from 1485 identified by the search. A narrative review was carried out; quantitative pooling of the results was not feasible due to high heterogeneity between studies. All estimates of the average number of years spent in both health and work from age 50 were below 10 years with the exception of a population subgroup of Finnish male executives (11.91 years). The review indicated that population indicators of health and work that could estimate the average number of years people are healthy and in work are rarely used, and that there are no current and reliable estimates. One indicator, Healthy Working Life Expectancy (measuring life expectancy in health and work from age 50), offers the potential to be a suitable measure for monitoring life expectancy in health and work.