Introduction to Well-being and Extended Working Life: A Gender Perspective

Most European countries have introduced labour market reforms at varying times in the early 21st century, leading to extended working life and postponement of retirement age. The pace and extent of such reforms have been different in various countries and, often, have been accompanied by public debates and, sometimes, with a fierce resistance from the general public or from specific groups. The aim of this book is to provide an assessment of the implications of extended working life for different dimensions of well-being from a gender perspective in order to discuss the working conditions of older workers and access limitations to extended working life. It considers extended working life across European countries characterised by different welfare states and economic conditions, as well as different gendered well-being outcomes. This comparative cross-country analysis allows us to identify limitations in access to extended working life and the effect of different policies on ageing at work, on workers and on their family well-being from a gender perspective.