Aussies are working longer but not always in good health

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-07-28 08:30

Australia; NSW; VIC

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Aussies are working to an older age, but having a longer working life doesn't always come with equivalent gains in healthy life, according to Australian research.  The researchers compared two groups of Aussies surveyed from either 2001 to 2011 or from 2011 to 2020. The study found that while everyone increased the number of years they worked, only men and people with higher education levels had matching gains in the number of years they lived in good health. Women and people with low education levels were working longer but did not see matching gains in healthy life expectancy. They also found it is not unusual for workers older than 50 years to work with long-term health limitations. After the age of 50, women and people with low education levels live 30% of their remaining work years with poor health.