Living Longer but Working Longer: Where Are We Heading in Canada?

Yves Carriere, Université de Montréal
Diane Galarneau, Statistics Canada

Using data from the Labour Force Survey, this paper looks at trends in working life expectancy before retirement among cohorts of Canadian workers reaching age 50 between 1976 and 2006. Recent work has shown a significant increase in working life expectancy at age 50 since the mid 1990s. These results were obtained using a standard cross-sectional approach. Using the same data, this paper will be using a cohort approach. A complete picture will be presented for cohorts born between 1926 and 1936. Different projection scenarios will be used for cohorts born between 1937 and 1956. These results will be presented by gender, with additional results using broad schooling levels. The paper will also look at the trend in expected retirement years given the increasing life expectancy at age 50 during the period of observation. The discussion will raise the issue of having to increase or not mandatory retirement age.