How Work and Retirement Transitions in Russia Impact Subjective Well-being: A Gendered Analysis

• In Event: 3111 - Comparative Perspectives on Inequality in Later Life

Abstract

Working in retirement is increasing in many countries. In Russia it is estimated that one in five pensioners are in paid work. We use mixed methods to investigate how this impacts older people’s subjective wellbeing, and whether associations can be explained by economic factors. First, we use panel data on 4,792 individuals aged 45-70 years from 12 waves of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (2003-2015) to estimate individual fixed-effects models for life satisfaction, according to pension receipt and work transitions, adjusting for other time varying factors. Starting to receive a pension while continuing in work increased life satisfaction scores compared with pension receipt and not working. While among men this increase was attenuated after adjustment for income and poverty changes, the positive effect of being a working pensioner remained in women, and appeared to be concentrated among women with the lowest income levels. We interpret this finding using longitudinal qualitative data. We show that retirement is gendered with women expected to perform onerous household and caring labor in their extended families. Paid work offers some psychological protection from the negative impact of this burden.

Authors

• Sarah Ashwin, London School of Economics

• Katherine Keenan, St Andrews University UK

• Irina Kozina, Higher School of Economics, Russia