Factors affecting retirement behavior before and after retirement, a comparative approach

ABSTRACT: This study uses data from already retired individuals and those still in the workforce above 50 years old in Iran, to investigate factors that may influence their decision to retire. This comparative approach between retired individuals and those approaching retirement makes the thesis unique. Specifically, we have looked at gender, age, pension level, number of financial dependents, self-perceived health, total assets and the effects of work family balance on the retirement decision. Our results indicate that age influences the retirement decision in retired group and the perceived retirement decision in the working group. The older individuals seem to continue working or perceive that they will continue to work, whereas the younger individuals perceive that they will retire early. Gender, self-perceived health, house ownership, capital accumulation seem to influence the perceived retirement age among the working group. Key words: Official retirement, Perceived Retirement Age, Actual Retirement Age, Working Group and Retired Group …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………