Methodological development for comparisons of working life expectancy between occupational groups: a research collaboration with the National Research Center for the Working Environment in Denmark

Life expectancy is increasing, and populations are aging.

With this in mind, policy makers are making efforts to extend the working life in order to sustain the current welfare systems.

Because many are still unable to work until the current retirement age, there is a need to better understand how labor market situations may look among different occupational groups with different types of exposure.One way of understanding these differences is through working life expectancy (WLE), a method which is central to a research sub-project which I am leading.

This project uses a cohort of linked Swedish health and labor market registers, including the new addition of detailed information on pension and unemployment. I am experienced in using this data but am seeking development in methods for WLE analysis.

Collaborating with Jacob Pedersen, a leading researcher in WLE at the National Research Center for the Working Environment in Copenhagen, Denmark would provide me with the methodological expertise to carry out my project, as well as facilitate possibilities for international comparisons for Sweden and Denmark, and future collaboration.This research visit concerns a five-week stay with a focus on hands-on training in data management and analytical methods for WLE analysis.

This collaboration will also continue after the research visit with the output of several manuscripts relevant to my work package which is focused on different comparisons in WLE.

This is a beneficial arrangement for both parties which facilitates skills development and knowledge transfer, international comparisons in WLE, and collaboration and intellectual exchange between our institutions.