Highlights
- Working longer improves cognition and reduces physical disability for women aged 60–63.
- Cognitive gains from work are especially large for single women.
- Non-sedentary jobs are good for mobility but sedentary jobs have negative effects.
- Policy-makers should consider encouraging types of work that are good for health.
- Policy could encourage physical exercise and engagement with others in retirement.
Abstract
In this paper we show that remaining in work has significant positive causal effects on the average cognition and physical mobility of older women in England. We analyse a reform-induced increase in employment of 60–63-year-old women between 2010 and 2017 in England and show that working longer substantially boosts performance on two cognitive tests, particularly for single women. We also find large improvements in measures of physical disability: substantial increases in walking speed, and lower reports of mobility problems. However, for women in sedentary occupations, work reduces walking speed, due to lower levels of physical exercise.
Authors
James Banks
James is Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Economics at Manchester, working on broad issues in the economics of retirement, savings and health.
Jonathan Cribb
Jonathan is an Associate Director and Head of Retirement, Savings and Ageing sector, focusing on pensions, savings and later-life economic activity.
Carl Emmerson
Carl, a Deputy Director, is an editor of the IFS Green Budget, an expert on the UK pension system and sits on the Social Security Advisory Committee.
David Sturrock
David’s research covers household wealth, intergenerational transfers, social mobility, pensions taxation, and health and work at older ages.
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