Perception of “Appropriate” Age for Retirement among Young Adults, Middle-Aged Adults, and Elderly People

Abstract

The “appropriate” age for retirement as it is perceived by young adults, middle-aged adults, and elderly people has been studied. No respondents were surprised or had trouble expressing an opinion about the minimum and maximum “appropriate” ages for retirement. Representations of the “appropriate” retirement age vary primarily as a function of the perceived physical constraints involved in the occupation, and also depend on the age of the person being questioned; the younger the respondent, and lower the perceived “appropriate” minimum age. There was no tendency among the young adults to prolong the work life of older individuals. Nor was there a tendency to associate aging with the loss of intellectual capacities likely to lead to early retirement.