Article Text
Abstract
Background One of the aspects of work sustainability concerns workers’ intention to stay at the current job until retirement age. While psychosocial work conditions are expected to influence workers’ intention to stay, its distributions across occupations and the associations with psychosocial work factors have not been well understood.
Methods We analyzed data from a national survey conducted in 2010, consisting of 11 209 male and 8189 female workers aged between 25 to 55 years old. Intention to stay at the current job was assessed by a single question: ‘Thinking of your health status, would you expect yourself to stay at the current job at age of 60 years old?’. Responses were coded as ‘probably yes’, ‘probably not’, ‘not sure’ and ‘not willing’. We regrouped ‘probably not’ and ‘not willing’ as ‘no intention’. Information concerning age, educational attainment, occupation type and psychosocial work factors were also assessed by the questionnaire.
Results Descriptive analyses showed that 14.2% and 17.1% of male and female workers did not intend to stay the current job at the age of 60 years old. Lack of intention was more prevalent in younger workers, workers with lower employment grade and workers in certain industrial sectors including electronics manufacturing industries for both genders and health care industry for female workers. Workers in these industries were also significantly younger than those in other industries. Findings from multivariate logistic regression models indicated that lack of intention to stay was associated with nonstandard work shift, higher psychosocial demands, physically demanding work, lower job control and higher job insecurity.
Conclusion A substantial proportion of workers lack of intention to stay at the current job until old age. We suggest that improving work conditions may help to keep workers in employment until old age, especially among workers in socioeconomic lower positions.