Expectation and Preparation for Retirement of Employed and Unemployed Women in Middle Age

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze expectation and preparation for retirement of employed and unemployed women in middle age. We survey 328 women in total aged from 40 to 59 (200 employed and 128 unemployed women). The instruments consist of the Retirement Expectation Inventory from Hornstein & Wapner (1985) and the questions on economic, emotional, physical, and social preparation for retirement. The results of this study are as follows: ① The ‘imposed disruption’ is the highest retirement expectation both in employed and unemployed women. ② For ‘rest’, ‘new beginning’, and ‘imposed disruption’, employed women show higher retirement expectation than unemployed women. However, there is no significant difference between two groups for ‘continuation’. ③ Employed women show the highest economic retirement preparation, followed by emotional, social, and physical, while unemployed women show physical, emotional, social, and economic in order. And employed women are better preparing for their retirement in economic, emotional, and social area than unemployed women. But there is no significant difference between two groups in physical retirement preparation. ④ The subgroups that expect retirement more as ‘rest’, ‘new beginning’, or ‘imposed disruption’ are mostly well-prepared for retirement, and composed mainly of employed, highly-educated, and high-income. Finally, we suggest the provision of various welfare services and education programs for middle-aged women, in particular for unemployed women with relatively insufficient opportunities of pre-retirement education or planning service.