Introduction Anticipating demographic changes, many European states have increased official pension entitlement age, some countries by ten years. Prospectively, working lives of the work force will be extended; but still today, most people leave employment long before reaching official retirement age. Who CAN and who WANTS to work until regular retirement age? Are ‘CAN’ and ‘WANT’ connected to work and private factors in a similar way?

Methods Data base is the second wave (2014) of the lidA cohort study (www.lida-study.de) which is investigating work, health and employment among older workers born in 1959 or 1965 (n=4.042) in a representative sample of the socially employed population in Germany by means of a personal interview (CAPI). The statistically predictive power of work and private factors for self-reported ability (I CAN work until 65+years) and motivation to work (I WANT to work until 65+years) was calculated by means of multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results Older workers, men, higher educated, having high work ability and high influence at work were significantly related to longer work perspectives for both outcomes CAN and WANT. Quantitative demands and partner’s health were neither associated with CAN nor WANT. Good self-rated health was predicting CAN but not WANT. Good leadership quality, high possibilities for development at work, high (!) household obligations and a negative attitude towards early retirement in the private surrounding predicted motivation to work longer (WANT) but not CAN.

Discussion Findings indicate the relevance of work and private factors for the subjective employment perspective. Yet diverging findings for self-rated ability to work longer and motivation to work longer confirm the differences between these two concepts. A conclusion is that both outcomes may be of relevance for sustained employability but require different interventions on the work level.