Personality traits are associated with well-being and satisfaction in life after work

A new study published recently in PLOS ONE journal has identified novel associations between older adults' personality traits, the routes they took to leave their jobs, and their well-being after exiting the workforce. As the world's elderly population rises, communities and policymakers become more concerned about their well-being. Researchers are looking at how varied departure paths—like forced vs voluntary retirement—affect future life satisfaction. To clarify, researchers used data from the British Household Panel Survey to examine over 2,000 persons aged
50 to 75.

The dataset comprised assessments of individuals' "Big Five" personality qualities and subsequent life satisfaction after leaving their professions, willingly or involuntarily, with no intentions to return. Conscientiousness was connected to higher leisure time satisfaction in older persons forced into retirement and enhanced life satisfaction in jobless people.

Extraversion was linked to decreased life, income, and leisure satisfaction among early retirees. Extraversion was connected to increased leisure pleasure in adults who ceased working due to illness or caregiving duties. Extraverts may lack social interactions at work but maybe driven to discover socially fulfilling hobbies.

The findings could help guide targeted interventions and policies for ageing adults.

Source: PLOS ONE