CAREER TRAJECTORIES AND OLDER MENS RETIREMENT

The idea of a long and stable career rewarded by retirement is a fixtu re of the American social ethos and political economy. The paradox is that many Americans' careers do not fit this image. Here, we examined how the structure of the career, as compared to only those circumstanc es proximate to retirement, is important for understanding career endi ngs. Based on labor force histories drawn from the National Longitudin al Survey of Older Men, we observed that the occupational roles held t hrough the mid and late career combine additively to influence retirem ent and disability experiences, with different conditions of work comi ng into play depending on the career stage. Occupational roles in the mid career also have long-term, indirect effects, operating through th e onset of health problems and the adequacy of pension benefits. Altho ugh retirement and disability are not hinged to occupational mobility per se, these career endings are sensitive to major discontinuities in the career and work role in terms of unemployment and labor force mob ility.