Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations University of Queenlsand Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations

Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations

 
 


Employment and retirement

ALSWH data show the increasing centrality of paid work in women’s lives. Almost 30% of participants in the Mid-aged cohort increased their hours of work over the eight years between Survey 1 in 1996 and Survey 4 in 2004. The data also show that there are close links between paid work and women’s health. The figure shows that mid-aged women who were always in paid work between Survey 1 and Survey 4, had higher mental and physical health scores than other women.

In 2004, 65% of 53-58 year old women said they were not retired. Just over 10% said they were ‘partially’ retired, and about 20% had ‘completely’ retired. Separated or divorced women were less likely to be retired than were widowed or married women. Women who had not retired were more likely to be separated or divorced than married or widowed. Compared with women who had retired, women not retired were more likely to have more qualifications, and to have dependent children still at home. (1)

The extent to which mid-aged women are involved in childcare for grandchildren, and the influence that the birth of a grandchild has on women’s retirement decisions(1,2), further reinforce the need for affordable and accessible childcare to facilitate women’s options for participation in paid work across all generations.

Physical and mental health scores associated with patterns of paid work of mid-age women between Survey 1 and Survey 4.

References

1.ALSWH. Women’s experiences of paid work and planning for retirement. (2006) Report for the Office for Women, Department of Family and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
2.Warner-Smith, P., Everingham, C., Ford, J. (2006) Mid-age women’s experiences of work and expectations of retirement’ Just Policy 40:45-53.

 

For further information on employment and retirement, see our other publications:

Reports

  • ALSWH. Women’s experiences of paid work and planning for retirement. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland, November 2006.
  • Ford J, Lee C, Svensson A & Warner-Smith P. Paid Work, Time use, Demographics and Health: Analyses from the Mid-age Cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health & Ageing. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland. November 2004.
  • ALSWH. Paid work and women’s health. Summary report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland. April 2005.


Papers

  • Bryson L & Warner-Smith P. Employment and women's health. Just Policy, 1998; 14: 3-14
  • Warner-Smith P & Mishra G. 'Happy Hours': Women’s wellbeing and their satisfaction with hours of paid work. Health Sociology Review, 2002; 11(1 & 2): 39-48.
  • Warner-Smith P, Everingham C & Ford J. Mid-age women's experiences of work and expectations of retirement. Just Policy, 2006; 40: 45-53.





 
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Last updated: 25 July 2007 by Cath Chojenta © Copyright