Why Older Adults Seek Employment: Differing Motivations Among Subgroups

Abstract

Differences among four subgroups of older adults seeking employment—midlife career changers aged 40 to 55, displaced workers aged 56 to 61, younger retirees aged 62 to 69, and older retirees aged 70 or older—were examined. The underlying assumption was that different subgroups of older adults have different motivations for seeking employment. To test this assumption, a 71-item survey measuring subgroups of older adults, their motivation to work, the extent to which they wanted to engage in work, and their need for satisfaction and achievement through work was administered at several public agencies in inland southern California. One hundred one older adults volunteered to participate in the study. The results of a one-way multivariate analysis of variance showed that older adults in the different subgroups could be differentiated by factors addressing the income and benefits associated with work and the scheduling needs of job seekers. The authors conclude with a discussion of the implications of the results for organizations and needs for future research.