The Fact
Longitudinal analysis of the Health and Retirement Study by Urban Institute researchers found that 56% of full-time, full-year workers ages 51–54 experienced an employer-related involuntary job separation after age 50. The analysis followed workers over time rather than asking only about a single year's layoffs.
What This Means
A stable full-time job at the beginning of the 50s did not guarantee a stable path to retirement. In this longitudinal sample, involuntary employer separation after 50 was common rather than exceptional.
Sources
- Johnson, Richard W., and Peter Gosselin. “How Secure Is Employment at Older Ages?” Urban Institute, 2018, analysis of the Health and Retirement Study.