Working in old age and health outcomes in Japan

How does working in old age affect health status? We examine the impacts of the working hours of elderly Japanese men on their health outcome, taking into account an endogeneity between work and health. Utilizing panel data on the Japanese elderly, we found that while Japanese elderly males prefer to work for relatively fewer hours as they grow older, their health does not deteriorate if they continue to work in old age. These results suggest that the Japanese elderly can maintain their health by working with a relative decrease in labor hours.

• Japanese elderly males prefer to work for relatively fewer hours as they grow older.
• Working in old age does not cause deterioration in the health status of Japanese men.
• These results suggest that the Japanese elderly can maintain their health by working with a relative decrease in labor hours.