Health problems often force early retirement: Study

Sydney, Feb 17 (UNI) Health problems often cause older workers to retire from their jobs early and hence more resources should be invested to treat and prevent them, an Australian study said.

Scientists in New South Wales analysed data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) pertaining to about 4,000 people aged between 45 and 64.

The data showed the relationship between people's work and their health.

Dr Deborah Schofield, from the University of Sydney, said there should be strategies other than economic ones to keep people at work.

''One of the major reasons for early retirement wasn't just to go and play golf, it was because people had become too ill to keep working,'' she said.

''So our conclusion is that investment in health care and preventing chronic diseases might in fact be just as important in improving labour force participation as some of these economic incentives,'' she added.

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