Tove Midtsundstad - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Tove Midtsundstad
Springer eBooks, 2018
Seen from an international perspective, Norway has high employment rates and low unemployment rat... more Seen from an international perspective, Norway has high employment rates and low unemployment rates among its older population. On the other hand, the share of persons aged 50–64 on disability pension is quite high compared to other European countries. Studies also show that a large proportion of disability insurance claims in Norway can be directly attributed to job displacement and other adverse shocks to employment opportunities. This indicates that there might be some hidden unemployment among Norway’s older population. This article describes and discusses this unemployment – disability paradox in light of relevant legislation, policies and recent research.
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Aug 17, 2020
Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether introducing workplace health-promotion intervention... more Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether introducing workplace health-promotion interventions targeting employees with health problems or reduced work ability affected overall sick leave and disability risk. Methods: The study population comprised data from an establishment survey from 2010 identifying who had introduced workplace health promotion (the intervention) linked to register data on all employees and their sickness absence and disability pension uptake from 2000 through 2010. Results: Interventions had moderate effects due to varying efficacy in different parts of the labour market. Intervention success was more likely among white-collar workers (e.g. in public administration) compared to bluecollar workers (e.g. in manufacturing), probably due to variations in both organisational and technological constraints. effects were small among men and moderate among older workers, particularly among women. Overall, disability risk reduction was accompanied by an increase in sickness absence. Sometimes, sickness absence increased in groups with no change in disability risk, suggesting that presenteeism in one group may increase absenteeism in other groups. Conclusions: Introducing workplace health-promotion interventions may prolong work careers in some labour-market segments. Financial incentives for Norwegian establishments to continue offering workplace health-promotion interventions may be improved, given the current financial model for disability pension and sickness benefits.
European Journal of Education, Feb 5, 2019
Because of rising life expectancy and declining birth rates, reducing early retirement and prolon... more Because of rising life expectancy and declining birth rates, reducing early retirement and prolonging employees' working lives have become major goals on social policy agendas (Hasselhorn & Apt, 2015; Höfacker, 2010; Walker & Foster, 2013; Walker & Maltby, 2012). Active ageing has therefore gained widespread currency across Europe since the beginning of the new millennium (Foster, 2012) and governments are taking more and more policy action to encourage ageing workers to extend their working lives and their employers to retain them (Raemdonck, Beausaert, Fröhlich, Kochoian, & Meurant, 2015). Whilst pension reforms have been the primary strategy of governments to date, this approach often fails to address the real barriers to older adults' continuing participation in the labour force. Countries worldwide are therefore experimenting with structural reforms that introduce greater flexibility into work and retirement, removing softer barriers such as ageism among employers and providing older adults with targeted support to remain in or re-enter the workforce. In this context, ensuring the adaptability and employability of the existing workforce has become an important issue. According to Foster (2012), there are two approaches to active ageing: a narrow economic and productivist approach focusing on participation in the labour market-advocated by the OECD (2006) and the European Commission (2012)-and a more comprehensive and multidimensional approach
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Feb 3, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Nordisk välfärdsforskning | Nordic Welfare Research, 2020
Søkelys på arbeidslivet, 2013
ABSTRACT Med pensjonsreformen har den avtalefestede pensjonsordningen ( AFP) og tjenestepensjonso... more ABSTRACT Med pensjonsreformen har den avtalefestede pensjonsordningen ( AFP) og tjenestepensjonsordningene fått økt betydning for såvel pensjonsnivå som valg av avgangstidspunkt. Å ha god kunnskap om egne pensjonsrettigheter er derfor viktigere en før. I denne artikkelen ser vi på hvor mange og hvem som mangler kunnskap om sin tjenestepensjon og sine AFP-retigheter. Data er hentet fra en surveyundersøkelse blant arbeidstakere i privat sektor fra 2010. Ifølge undersøkelsen er det en av fire som ikke vet om de har en innskudds- eller ytelsesordning, og en av fem som ikke vet om de har rett til AFP-pensjon. Kunnskap om AFP- og tjenestepensjonsrettigheter er primært knyttet til alder og inntektsnivå: de med høy inntekt og de eldste har best oversikt. Gitt tidligere forskning er det noe overraskende at kjønn og utdanningsnivå har lite å si for kunnskapsnivået. Det kan ha sammenheng med at tjenestepensjonsordningene og AFP er bedrifts- og avtalebaserte. Alle ansatte får dermed regelmessig informasjon om pensjonsordningene fra personalansvarlige, pensjonsleverandør eller fagforening, uten selv å måtte innhente denne. https://www.idunn.no/spa/2013/01-02
Occupational Medicine, 2016
Background Increasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility have led to a shift in the workfor... more Background Increasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility have led to a shift in the workforce age structure towards older age groups. Deteriorating health and reduced work capacity are among the challenges to retaining older workers in the labour force. Aims To examine whether workplace interventions to facilitate work among employees with health problems or reduced work capacity affect disability rates among employees aged 50 years and older. Methods Data from a survey of Norwegian companies (n = 713) were linked with registry data on their employees aged 50-61 years (n = 30 771). By means of a difference-indifferences approach, we compared change in likelihood of receiving a full disability pension among employees in companies with and without workplace interventions. Results Employees in companies reporting to have workplace interventions in 2005 had a higher risk of receiving full disability pension during the period 2001-03 compared with employees in companies without such interventions [odds ratio (OR) 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.45]. During the period 2005-07, there was an overall reduction in disability rates (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.96) in both the intervention and control group. However, employees in companies reporting to have interventions in 2005 experienced an additional reduction in an employee's likelihood of receiving a full disability pension (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.64-0.99) compared with employees in companies without interventions. Conclusions Interventions to facilitate work among employees with health problems or reduced work capacity have reduced disability rates among employees aged 50-61. This suggests that companies' preventive interventions are an effective means to retain older workers with deteriorating health.
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, 2018
In this paper, we analyze the effect of the retaining bonus on early retirement behavior using a ... more In this paper, we analyze the effect of the retaining bonus on early retirement behavior using a unique dataset consisting of a Norwegian employer survey from 2010 combined with register data on all older employees in the period 2000–2010. The retaining bonus is one of the most common retention measures offered by Norwegian companies to prevent their older workers from retiring early. The most common arrangement is a lump sum of between 10,000 and 25,000 Norwegian Kroner (between 1100 and 2600 Euros), which was less than the mean monthly pay before tax in Norway in 2010. In spite of this modest sum, our analysis shows that retaining bonuses of 20,000 NOK or more do reduce the probability of 61-year-olds retiring in the next two years of employment
Søkelys på arbeidslivet, 2012
Die Beschaftigungsquote unter der alteren Bevolkerung Norwegens ist seit vielen Jahren unverander... more Die Beschaftigungsquote unter der alteren Bevolkerung Norwegens ist seit vielen Jahren unverandert hoch, die Arbeitslosenquote seit Jahren niedrig. Andererseits ist der Anteil der Personen im Alter von 50-64 Jahren, die eine Erwerbsminderungsrente beziehen, im Vergleich zu anderen europaischen Landern relativ hoch. Die Inanspruchnahme von Erwerbsminderungsrenten hangt grostenteils direkt mit einem Verlust des Arbeitsplatzes und anderen Beschrankungen von Erwerbschancen zusammen. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass die altere Bevolkerung Norwegens von verdeckter Arbeitslosigkeit betroffen ist. Der Beitrag befasst sich mit diesem paradoxen Verhaltnis zwischen Arbeitslosigkeit und Erwerbsminderung im Licht der Gesetzgebung und Praxis der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik sowie mit neueren Forschungsergebnissen zu dieser Problematik.
En Norvege, le taux d’emploi parmi les seniors est eleve depuis de nombreuses annees tandis que l... more En Norvege, le taux d’emploi parmi les seniors est eleve depuis de nombreuses annees tandis que le taux de chomage est faible. Pourtant, diverses etudes ont conclu que restructurations et reductions des effectifs en Norvege augmentent le risque d’absenteisme pour maladie, de retraite anticipee et de dependance envers les prestations sociales. La contribution a pour sujet la politique d’emploi et de protection sociale ainsi que l’influence des reformes sur la situation de travailleurs seniors en matiere d’emploi et met en evidence le lien paradoxal entre chomage et invalidite.
European Journal of Education
The number of people aged 60 and over across the globe is expected to double by 2050, reaching a ... more The number of people aged 60 and over across the globe is expected to double by 2050, reaching a share of more than 20 percent of the population total. Governments are therefore taking more and more policy actions to encourage ageing workers to extend their working lives and their employers to retain them. According to the OECD lifelong learning opportunities and inclusive labour markets will be essential to ensuring that workers of all educational backgrounds have the possibility of extending their working lives. This article examines the relationship between adult education completed after age 40 and the subsequent active participation of older adults in employment, using individual register data from Statistics Norway. The results show a substantial effect of upgrading formal education on subsequent labour market participation. Overall effects are quite similar for males and females. Attaining a lower level tertiary degree has the largest impact on labour market participation both for males and females. Completing a secondary education has a strong, long term impact among males. The results suggest that facilitating access to formal education among older workers may be an important contribution to extending working lives. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) remains the cornerstone of the Norwegian pension system. The ... more The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) remains the cornerstone of the Norwegian pension system. The introduction of a mandatory occupational pension in 2006, and the restructuring of the contractual pension (AFP) in 2008, have, however, significantly increased the importance of labor market based pensions. Entitlement to AFP and contributions to occupational pensions are largely determined by individual employers, thus resulting in significant different future pension benefits and opportunities to retire early among employees. This article investigates what characterizes private sector enterprises that offer their employees both entitlement to AFP and a ‘good’ occupational pension, compared with enterprises that only offer a minimum pension. Analyzing data from a survey carried out in 2012 among 1107 private sector companies, I find that companies who offered an occupational pension before such schemes became mandatory in 2006 and companies where the social partners had conducted negot...
European Journal of Education
Søkelys på arbeidslivet
Med IA-avtalen og pensjonsreformen har redusert arbeidstid blitt utropt til et universalmiddel, s... more Med IA-avtalen og pensjonsreformen har redusert arbeidstid blitt utropt til et universalmiddel, som ikke bare skal redusere sykefravaeret, men også holde flere uføre og eldre i arbeid. Det oppmuntres derfor til økt uttak av gradert sykemelding, gradert uførepensjon og gradert alderspensjon. Over én av tre virksomhetsledere finner det imidlertid vanskelig å tilby eldre arbeidstakere deltid. Saerlig betenkelig er det at andelen ledere som sier deltid er uaktuelt eller vanskelig å få til på deres arbeidsplass, er høyest i virksomheter som sysselsetter grupper med tradisjonelt høyt sykefravaer og lav forventet avgangsalder. Dette synes spesielt å vaere tilfelle på mannsdominerte arbeidsplasser.
Springer eBooks, 2018
Seen from an international perspective, Norway has high employment rates and low unemployment rat... more Seen from an international perspective, Norway has high employment rates and low unemployment rates among its older population. On the other hand, the share of persons aged 50–64 on disability pension is quite high compared to other European countries. Studies also show that a large proportion of disability insurance claims in Norway can be directly attributed to job displacement and other adverse shocks to employment opportunities. This indicates that there might be some hidden unemployment among Norway’s older population. This article describes and discusses this unemployment – disability paradox in light of relevant legislation, policies and recent research.
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Aug 17, 2020
Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether introducing workplace health-promotion intervention... more Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether introducing workplace health-promotion interventions targeting employees with health problems or reduced work ability affected overall sick leave and disability risk. Methods: The study population comprised data from an establishment survey from 2010 identifying who had introduced workplace health promotion (the intervention) linked to register data on all employees and their sickness absence and disability pension uptake from 2000 through 2010. Results: Interventions had moderate effects due to varying efficacy in different parts of the labour market. Intervention success was more likely among white-collar workers (e.g. in public administration) compared to bluecollar workers (e.g. in manufacturing), probably due to variations in both organisational and technological constraints. effects were small among men and moderate among older workers, particularly among women. Overall, disability risk reduction was accompanied by an increase in sickness absence. Sometimes, sickness absence increased in groups with no change in disability risk, suggesting that presenteeism in one group may increase absenteeism in other groups. Conclusions: Introducing workplace health-promotion interventions may prolong work careers in some labour-market segments. Financial incentives for Norwegian establishments to continue offering workplace health-promotion interventions may be improved, given the current financial model for disability pension and sickness benefits.
European Journal of Education, Feb 5, 2019
Because of rising life expectancy and declining birth rates, reducing early retirement and prolon... more Because of rising life expectancy and declining birth rates, reducing early retirement and prolonging employees' working lives have become major goals on social policy agendas (Hasselhorn & Apt, 2015; Höfacker, 2010; Walker & Foster, 2013; Walker & Maltby, 2012). Active ageing has therefore gained widespread currency across Europe since the beginning of the new millennium (Foster, 2012) and governments are taking more and more policy action to encourage ageing workers to extend their working lives and their employers to retain them (Raemdonck, Beausaert, Fröhlich, Kochoian, & Meurant, 2015). Whilst pension reforms have been the primary strategy of governments to date, this approach often fails to address the real barriers to older adults' continuing participation in the labour force. Countries worldwide are therefore experimenting with structural reforms that introduce greater flexibility into work and retirement, removing softer barriers such as ageism among employers and providing older adults with targeted support to remain in or re-enter the workforce. In this context, ensuring the adaptability and employability of the existing workforce has become an important issue. According to Foster (2012), there are two approaches to active ageing: a narrow economic and productivist approach focusing on participation in the labour market-advocated by the OECD (2006) and the European Commission (2012)-and a more comprehensive and multidimensional approach
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Feb 3, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Nordisk välfärdsforskning | Nordic Welfare Research, 2020
Søkelys på arbeidslivet, 2013
ABSTRACT Med pensjonsreformen har den avtalefestede pensjonsordningen ( AFP) og tjenestepensjonso... more ABSTRACT Med pensjonsreformen har den avtalefestede pensjonsordningen ( AFP) og tjenestepensjonsordningene fått økt betydning for såvel pensjonsnivå som valg av avgangstidspunkt. Å ha god kunnskap om egne pensjonsrettigheter er derfor viktigere en før. I denne artikkelen ser vi på hvor mange og hvem som mangler kunnskap om sin tjenestepensjon og sine AFP-retigheter. Data er hentet fra en surveyundersøkelse blant arbeidstakere i privat sektor fra 2010. Ifølge undersøkelsen er det en av fire som ikke vet om de har en innskudds- eller ytelsesordning, og en av fem som ikke vet om de har rett til AFP-pensjon. Kunnskap om AFP- og tjenestepensjonsrettigheter er primært knyttet til alder og inntektsnivå: de med høy inntekt og de eldste har best oversikt. Gitt tidligere forskning er det noe overraskende at kjønn og utdanningsnivå har lite å si for kunnskapsnivået. Det kan ha sammenheng med at tjenestepensjonsordningene og AFP er bedrifts- og avtalebaserte. Alle ansatte får dermed regelmessig informasjon om pensjonsordningene fra personalansvarlige, pensjonsleverandør eller fagforening, uten selv å måtte innhente denne. https://www.idunn.no/spa/2013/01-02
Occupational Medicine, 2016
Background Increasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility have led to a shift in the workfor... more Background Increasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility have led to a shift in the workforce age structure towards older age groups. Deteriorating health and reduced work capacity are among the challenges to retaining older workers in the labour force. Aims To examine whether workplace interventions to facilitate work among employees with health problems or reduced work capacity affect disability rates among employees aged 50 years and older. Methods Data from a survey of Norwegian companies (n = 713) were linked with registry data on their employees aged 50-61 years (n = 30 771). By means of a difference-indifferences approach, we compared change in likelihood of receiving a full disability pension among employees in companies with and without workplace interventions. Results Employees in companies reporting to have workplace interventions in 2005 had a higher risk of receiving full disability pension during the period 2001-03 compared with employees in companies without such interventions [odds ratio (OR) 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.45]. During the period 2005-07, there was an overall reduction in disability rates (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.96) in both the intervention and control group. However, employees in companies reporting to have interventions in 2005 experienced an additional reduction in an employee's likelihood of receiving a full disability pension (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.64-0.99) compared with employees in companies without interventions. Conclusions Interventions to facilitate work among employees with health problems or reduced work capacity have reduced disability rates among employees aged 50-61. This suggests that companies' preventive interventions are an effective means to retain older workers with deteriorating health.
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, 2018
In this paper, we analyze the effect of the retaining bonus on early retirement behavior using a ... more In this paper, we analyze the effect of the retaining bonus on early retirement behavior using a unique dataset consisting of a Norwegian employer survey from 2010 combined with register data on all older employees in the period 2000–2010. The retaining bonus is one of the most common retention measures offered by Norwegian companies to prevent their older workers from retiring early. The most common arrangement is a lump sum of between 10,000 and 25,000 Norwegian Kroner (between 1100 and 2600 Euros), which was less than the mean monthly pay before tax in Norway in 2010. In spite of this modest sum, our analysis shows that retaining bonuses of 20,000 NOK or more do reduce the probability of 61-year-olds retiring in the next two years of employment
Søkelys på arbeidslivet, 2012
Die Beschaftigungsquote unter der alteren Bevolkerung Norwegens ist seit vielen Jahren unverander... more Die Beschaftigungsquote unter der alteren Bevolkerung Norwegens ist seit vielen Jahren unverandert hoch, die Arbeitslosenquote seit Jahren niedrig. Andererseits ist der Anteil der Personen im Alter von 50-64 Jahren, die eine Erwerbsminderungsrente beziehen, im Vergleich zu anderen europaischen Landern relativ hoch. Die Inanspruchnahme von Erwerbsminderungsrenten hangt grostenteils direkt mit einem Verlust des Arbeitsplatzes und anderen Beschrankungen von Erwerbschancen zusammen. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass die altere Bevolkerung Norwegens von verdeckter Arbeitslosigkeit betroffen ist. Der Beitrag befasst sich mit diesem paradoxen Verhaltnis zwischen Arbeitslosigkeit und Erwerbsminderung im Licht der Gesetzgebung und Praxis der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik sowie mit neueren Forschungsergebnissen zu dieser Problematik.
En Norvege, le taux d’emploi parmi les seniors est eleve depuis de nombreuses annees tandis que l... more En Norvege, le taux d’emploi parmi les seniors est eleve depuis de nombreuses annees tandis que le taux de chomage est faible. Pourtant, diverses etudes ont conclu que restructurations et reductions des effectifs en Norvege augmentent le risque d’absenteisme pour maladie, de retraite anticipee et de dependance envers les prestations sociales. La contribution a pour sujet la politique d’emploi et de protection sociale ainsi que l’influence des reformes sur la situation de travailleurs seniors en matiere d’emploi et met en evidence le lien paradoxal entre chomage et invalidite.
European Journal of Education
The number of people aged 60 and over across the globe is expected to double by 2050, reaching a ... more The number of people aged 60 and over across the globe is expected to double by 2050, reaching a share of more than 20 percent of the population total. Governments are therefore taking more and more policy actions to encourage ageing workers to extend their working lives and their employers to retain them. According to the OECD lifelong learning opportunities and inclusive labour markets will be essential to ensuring that workers of all educational backgrounds have the possibility of extending their working lives. This article examines the relationship between adult education completed after age 40 and the subsequent active participation of older adults in employment, using individual register data from Statistics Norway. The results show a substantial effect of upgrading formal education on subsequent labour market participation. Overall effects are quite similar for males and females. Attaining a lower level tertiary degree has the largest impact on labour market participation both for males and females. Completing a secondary education has a strong, long term impact among males. The results suggest that facilitating access to formal education among older workers may be an important contribution to extending working lives. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) remains the cornerstone of the Norwegian pension system. The ... more The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) remains the cornerstone of the Norwegian pension system. The introduction of a mandatory occupational pension in 2006, and the restructuring of the contractual pension (AFP) in 2008, have, however, significantly increased the importance of labor market based pensions. Entitlement to AFP and contributions to occupational pensions are largely determined by individual employers, thus resulting in significant different future pension benefits and opportunities to retire early among employees. This article investigates what characterizes private sector enterprises that offer their employees both entitlement to AFP and a ‘good’ occupational pension, compared with enterprises that only offer a minimum pension. Analyzing data from a survey carried out in 2012 among 1107 private sector companies, I find that companies who offered an occupational pension before such schemes became mandatory in 2006 and companies where the social partners had conducted negot...
European Journal of Education
Søkelys på arbeidslivet
Med IA-avtalen og pensjonsreformen har redusert arbeidstid blitt utropt til et universalmiddel, s... more Med IA-avtalen og pensjonsreformen har redusert arbeidstid blitt utropt til et universalmiddel, som ikke bare skal redusere sykefravaeret, men også holde flere uføre og eldre i arbeid. Det oppmuntres derfor til økt uttak av gradert sykemelding, gradert uførepensjon og gradert alderspensjon. Over én av tre virksomhetsledere finner det imidlertid vanskelig å tilby eldre arbeidstakere deltid. Saerlig betenkelig er det at andelen ledere som sier deltid er uaktuelt eller vanskelig å få til på deres arbeidsplass, er høyest i virksomheter som sysselsetter grupper med tradisjonelt høyt sykefravaer og lav forventet avgangsalder. Dette synes spesielt å vaere tilfelle på mannsdominerte arbeidsplasser.