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Correlational findings

Study Wetzel et al. (2016): study DE 2004

Public
57-65 aged Germany, followed 6 years before to 8 years after retirement, 2004-2018
Survey name
DE-SOEP combined waves
Sample
Respondents
N = 3361
Non Response
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face

Correlate

Authors's Label
Years since retirement
Our Classification
Related specification variables
Operationalization
Phase of retirement:
T1: 4 years before retirement
T2: year of retirement
T3: 4 years after retirement

Observed Relation with Happiness

Happiness Measure Statistics Elaboration / Remarks O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-d DM = +/-             Happiness LEVEL  Happiness CHANGE
            T1   T2   T3     T2-T1 T3-T1 T3-T2
            -4   0    +4    
ALL         7.09 7.02 7.19   -0.07 +0.10 +0.17
Transition type
- direct    7.26 7.22 7.24   -0.04 -0.02 +0.02
- indirect  6.93 6.79 7.14   -0.14 +0.21 +0.35

Direct transition = from fulltime work into retirement
Indirect transition = from unemployment into retirement

The pattern of change in happiness in these transition types is similar for:
- males and females
- high, middele and low educated
- age at retirement O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-d Beta = - ns CHANGE in happiness by pre-retirement years
- Direct transition     -.05(ns)
- Indirect transtion    -.05(ns) O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-d Beta = + ns CHANGE in happiness by post-retirement years
- Direct transition     +.10(ns)
- Indirect transtion    +.10(ns)

All Means and Betas controlled for
- age at retirement
- gender
- education
- duration of unemployment O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-d Ma = -/-+ Short-term CHANGE in happiness after retirement, retirees coming from unemployment showed a distinctly higher increase in happiness CHANGE than those who had been previously working. However, an unexpected short-term increase in happiness was found for direct transitions also.