THE DECISION TO RETIRE EARLY - A REVIEW AND CONCEPTUALIZATION

This article explores three interconnected decisions related to early retirement-the decision whether to leave a long-term job prior to age 65, the decision whether to accept bridge employment, and the decision whether to obtain bridge employment in the same industry or occupatio n as the last job-and the relationships among these three decisions an d adjustment to retirement. In addition, this article examines the key variables that influence these three decisions, integrating previous research on individual-level, family-level, job- and career-related, o rganization-level, and environmental-level factors. The article conclu des with an examination of methodological issues in the study of early retirement decisions and provides directions for future theory develo pment.