Do people who work longer die sooner?

In my high school days, the school principal – a man of retirement age – suddenly dropped dead on the job. The response of the teachers and other adults was, “What a pity he didn’t retire and enjoy his life”.  

The accepted wisdom in those days was that working longer could kill you. These days, thinking has moved to the point that many believe working beyond retirement age is good for you and keeps you engaged with an active life. 

If only it was that simple. 

Retirement, health, and death have been the subjects of numerous scientific studies over the years. 

Posing the question, “Do People Who Work Longer Die Sooner?”, a 2024 article in Psychology Today, concluded: 

• Retiring early is neither beneficial nor detrimental to your mortality risk or longevity 

• When ignoring prior health status, on-time retirement seems to lead to higher mortality rates 

• Demographic factors like age, gender, prior health, and socioeconomic status affect mortality at retirement 

• The “healthy worker effect” likely explains higher mortality for on-time retirees in unadjusted studies. 

Let’s drill a little deeper into the science. 

The “no effect’” conclusion was supported by researchers at Oregon State University but led to the popular idea that working longer is good for your health because you’re likely to be more engaged with peers and physically active while employed. 

A recent article on the topic published in the Australian Financial Review, found that subsequent research “tells a more complex and nuanced story”, including that a lot of studies reporting the effect of retirement on health do not necessarily consider the health of participants prior to retirement. 

Economists at the Marche Polytechnic University in Italy reviewed peer-reviewed journals on the topic from 2000 and 2021, and found: 

• 28% supported the hypothesis that retirement improves health 

• 60% provided no statistically significant effects 

• Only 12% reported evidence in favour of a worsening health status after retirement. 

A review of the research published in Psychology Today found that on-time retirement (retiring at the statutory retirement age) was initially associated with a higher risk of mortality compared to working beyond retirement age.  

The explanation for this, the publication suggests is the “healthy worker effect” – that is, people who remain employed tend to be healthier than those who retire or leave the workforce due to health reasons. 

Essentially, people who are healthier and have fewer health issues are more likely to be able to continue working past the retirement age, while those with poorer health or underlying conditions may be more inclined or forced to retire at the statutory age.