DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES AND THE NEED FOR LATER CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

This study explores previous research about extended working lives and later careers, as consequences of demographic changes alongside with a changing working life. Issues and themes visible in recent research on midlife and older adults’ careers opportunities are explored. A traditional literature review is conducted, in which peer reviewed articles on midlife and older adults’ careers issues and opportunities in an extended and changing working life are localized and downloaded as material for this study. This paper presents an analysis of empirical material downloaded from the Academic Search Elite database. The process of locating material from databases resulted in 141 articles selected for a deeper screening. Among these, 63 were finally selected as empirical material for analysis. Initially, the content of each article was identified, mapped, coded and categorized with content analysis as the basic method. The codes and categories with same or similar content were then brought together, and resulted in five overall themes: the need for all-age-career guidance services, career issues among certain professions, immigrants’ career paths, later careers and factors of well-being, and longitudinal correlations between early life conditions and late career. These themes are then discussed in terms of perspectives and interests that seem to dominate, and possible gaps and challenges for future research are also discussed.