The goal of this paper is to investigate issues related to active aging and resource potential of the older population in the labor sphere: we assess the level and nature of employment of working pensioners and daily engagement of the unemployed in the conditions of reforming the Russian pension system. This topic is relevant due to Russia’s transition to the Western model of aging and the adoption of a law on raising the retirement age. The sources of information include official statistics and the findings of the sociological research “Problems of the third age” that we conducted in 2013 and 2018. After Russia had suspended the indexation of pensions to working pensioners, it witnessed a sharp decline in employment of old-age pensioners, which led to a decrease in their income level, lower employment potential of people of retirement age and a reduction in the duration of active life. Studies prove that age, education, and the type of locality, as well as gender-specific behavioral strategies in the workplace are among the strongest employment determinants for older people. There is a fairly stable employment structure in the older population: more than 70% retain their current job, more than 20% find unskilled jobs that are usually in demand among pensioners. As the age increases, not only does the share of working pensioners decrease, but also the percentage of those employed in the same workplace as before retirement decreases. Age discrimination typical of the Russian external labor market is duplicated by discrimination in the domestic market. The labor potential of older people is not utilized to its fullest extent: the reserve is more than 10%. People under 65 have a predominant desire to continue working, depending on their health status, working conditions, and the severity of the issue of double employment. In the five years that have passed between the surveys, unemployed elderly people became more engaged in activities beyond their home life; nevertheless, they are still mostly focused on their family and household
Keywords
komi republic, resource potential, retirement age, labor activity, demographic aging, older population, active aging, daily engagement