Working life refers to the total span of gross or nominal working hours beginning with an individual’s entry into the workforce and ending upon their exit. Traditionally, life was divided into three distinct phases: education, work, and retirement. In this model, working life was viewed as a fixed middle stage.
However, modern career planning increasingly reflects a flexible life cycle that alternates between learning, working, and rest—sometimes repeatedly throughout one’s life. This shift is visualized in new employment patterns, such as:
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Gradual transition into retirement (→ retirement)
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Staggered workforce entry
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Re-entry after a family phase
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Lifetime working accounts
These approaches are gaining popularity and are often initiated independently by employees.
Traditional vs. Evolving Models of Working Life
Demographic changes are fueling the debate about the extension of working life. According to Boulin and Hoffmann (2001), funding challenges in pension systems have arisen due to an imbalance: fewer contributors and more beneficiaries. For instance, many individuals delay joining the pension contribution system until around age 30 due to prolonged education. Meanwhile, early retirement policies (→ pre-retirement) from 1994 to 1998 enabled workers to exit the workforce at an average age of 58.
In extreme cases, this results in only 28 years of contributions, which threatens both individual pension security and the sustainability of the system. Solutions under discussion include:
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Reducing training periods (→ training) to encourage earlier workforce entry
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Raising the statutory retirement age from 65 to 70 to increase the duration of contributions
These proposed reforms reflect a broader rethinking of how working life fits within a more dynamic and adaptable life course.
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