Working life expectancy in good and poor self-perceived health among Dutch workers aged 55–65 years with a chronic disease over the period 1992–2016

In the Netherlands, various policy measures were taken in recent years to encourage prolonged working. Increasingly, also workers with chronic diseases are called upon to continue working despite their health problems. The success of policies aiming at prolonged working is often judged by an increase in the average age when workers leave employment, but the question remains whether people work more years in good health, or rather in poor health. Also, it is not clear to what extent workers with a chronic disease experience poor health. This study examines working life expectancy in good and poor self-perceived health of workers with a chronic disease from age 55 onwards, and whether workers who experience poor health continued working longer during the period 1992-2016. Workers with a chronic disease extended their working lives by approximately 18 months in the period from 1992 to 2016. In the first half of this period, working life expectancy in poor health increased (with 6 months), whereas in the second half, working life expectancy in good health increased (with 13 months).