Table 1

Characteristics of the samples (at the last wave before work exit/censoring)

Education	Low early exit	Censored	Intermediate early exit	Censored	High early exit	Censored	Total early exit	Censored	% missing before MI
Sample size (n)
The Netherlands	221	354	100	206	122	292	443	852	0.4
Denmark	429	335	1126	1172	644	1015	2199	2522	3.6
England	349	1120	551	1584	296	608	1196	3312	8.5
Germany	57	80	144	328	157	437	358	845	0.9
Male (%)
The Netherlands	53.3	55.7	56.7	58.1	64.9	64.6	57.2	59.3	0
Denmark	40.3	55.8	51.6	59.1	43	54.4	46.9	56.8	0
England	55	46	55.7	51.8	71	54.1	59.3	50.2	0
Germany	31.6	38.8	48.4	47.3	48.4	54.2	45.3	50.1	0
Partner (%)
The Netherlands									0
No partner	17.8	17.5	15.1	18	15.1	18.1	16.5	17.8
Partner	82.2	82.5	84.9	82	84.9	81.9	83.5	82.2
Denmark									2.5
No partner	27	31.9	21.5	25.1	25.1	27.9	23.6	27.2
Partner not retired	44.8	45.4	47.6	55	45.1	53.2	46.3	53
Partner retired	28.2	22.7	30.9	19.9	29.8	18.9	30.1	19.9
England									5.1
No partner	22.4	23.2	20.2	21	15.3	21	19.6	21.7
Partner not retired	8.4	6.6	5.6	6	7.1	5.8	6.8	6.2
Partner retired	69.2	70.2	74.3	73	77.6	73.2	73.6	72.1
Germany									0
No partner	28.1	21.2	20.1	20.1	21.7	22	22.1	21.2
Partner	71.9	78.8	79.9	80.9	78.3	78	77.9	78.8
Number of working hours (%)
The Netherlands									0.4
1-15	23.4	30.4	21.2	20.9	20.2	15.8	22	23.1
16-31	29.9	26.1	18.2	37.4	31.9	28.4	27.3	29.6
32-40	38.1	34.1	43.4	30.1	43.7	41.8	40.8	35.8
≥ 41	9.6	9.4	17.2	11.6	4.2	14	9.9	11.5
Denmark									0.7
1-28	16.3	13.1	13.8	10.5	11.5	8.5	13.6	10
29-36	15.6	10.8	15.8	11.5	13.2	9.5	15	10.6
37	48.7	43.6	50.5	46.5	48.3	42.2	49.5	44.4
≥38	19.4	32.5	19.9	31.5	27	39.9	21.9	35
England									2.1
1-29	21.3	22.5	22.7	25.9	36.1	35.5	25.6	26.5
30-37	31.8	27.7	26.2	18.9	17.6	18.3	25.7	21.8
38-44	19.3	25.5	28	30.6	25.1	28.2	24.7	28.4
≥ 45	27.7	24.4	23.1	24.6	21.2	18	24	23.3
Germany									0.2
1-29	33.3	25	27.8	21.7	24.2	14.9	27.1	18.4
30-39	22.8	21.3	25	21.7	18.5	19.9	21.8	20.7
40-44	31.6	32.5	30.6	32	31.9	28.6	31.3	30.3
≥ 45	12.3	21.3	16.7	24.7	25.5	36.6	19.8	30.5
Type of exit (%)
The Netherlands									0
Early retirement	49.5		49		53.3		50.5
Disability	10.6		9		8.2		9.6
Unemployment	9.2		13		11.5		10.7
Economic inactivity	30.7		29		27.1		29.3
Denmark									0
Early retirement	55.7		60.7		68.7		69.9
Disability	5.8		6.2		3.3		5.3
Unemployment	38.5		33.1		28		24.8
England									0
Early retirement	43		59.7		79.4		59.7
Disability	18.6		10.9		3.7		11.4
Unemployment	20.1		14		8.8		14.5
Economic inactivity	18.3		15.4		8.1		14.5
Germany									0
Early retirement	36.8		45.1		52.2		46.9
Disability	12.3		3.5		7		6.4
Unemployment	21.1		20.8		12.7		17.3
Economic inactivity	29.8		30.6		28		29.3
Less than good SRH (%)
The Netherlands	25.1	27.8	24.2	21.4	10.9	13.4	21.1	21.3	0
Denmark	29.8	24.9	23.2	15.9	17.8	11	22.9	15.1	0.4
England	56.4	47.1	46.1	37.3	28.4	29.6	44.7	39.2	0
Germany	43.9	38.8	42.4	47.3	38.9	34.3	41.1	39.8	0.2
Functional limitations (%)
The Netherlands	16.4	12.2	14.1	16	3.4	5.8	12.4	10.9	0
Denmark	2.3	2.7	3	1	2.2	1.2	2.7	1.3	0.5
England	4.3	1.3	3.3	1.5	0.7	1	2.9	1.3	0
Germany	28.1	21.3	23.6	26.8	23.6	16.5	24.3	21	0
Depression (%)
The Netherlands	10.1	8.2	7.1	3.9	6.7	5.8	8.5	6.4	0
Denmark	7	2	5.6	2.2	6.7	3.8	6.3	2.3	0
England	19.2	12.7	12.5	10.6	8.5	8.6	13.5	11	0
Germany	19.3	11.3	16.7	14.6	15.9	9.8	16.8	11.8	0.6

*Percentages reported in first rows (sample size) are percentages of incomplete cases.
MI, multiple imputation; SRH, self-rated health.