Gradual Retirement in the Netherlands: An Analysis Using Administrative Data

Gradual retirement by which individuals leave their career jobs and withdraw incrementally from the labor force is an important empirical phenomenon in the United States. We analyze the current state of gradual retirement in the Netherlands using administrative data that allow much more precise tracking of labor market transitions than most survey panel data. We estimate multinomial transition models, taking into account competing pathways out of career employment at older ages, and discuss institutional aspects that limit the scope of gradual retirement, such as financial incentives to retire early.