This paper assesses how a recent and unexpected Italian pension reform changed the incentive to early retirement for women.
The analysis uses rich Italian administrative data and it is based on a differences-in-discontinuities design. Identification exploits the facts that (i) women with just above 35 years of contributions are eligible for early retirement; (ii) women born in 1952 are the first cohort affected by the retirement age increase, while women born in 1951 are unaffected. The results indicate that the differential in retirement age between women with more than 35 years of contributions and women with less than 35 years of contributions decreases by 2 months when statutory age increased. As the early retirement option entails a penalty in the annuity, we also evaluate the reform effect on women's pension amount. The findings indicate that the differential in annuity between the two groups decreases by about 5% for a lifetime. The effect is stronger for women with low labor market attachment and low education.

This paper investigates the labor market and retirement trajectories of older workers following mass layoffs in Italy during 2012–2018. Leveraging rich administrative data and a quasi-experimental event-study framework, we analyze outcomes for workers aged 57–62 to uncover age-driven heterogeneity in responses to job displacement. Our study contributes to the existing literature by being the first to focus explicitly on mass layoffs of older workers in a European context. We find that retirement becomes the dominant pathway, particularly for those aged 60–62, even when controlling for contributory and labor market characteristics.

As demographic ageing and declining birth rates reshape European labor markets, retirement is increasingly experienced not as a definitive end to working life, but as a transitional and flexible phase. Bridge employment - paid work undertaken after formal retirement but before complete labor market exit - has emerged as a key site for negotiating identity, purpose, and adaptability in later life. While widely observed, little is known about how retirees themselves redefine retirement and interpret their re-engagement with work, especially in light of ongoing digital transformations. This qualitative study explores how ndividuals aged 60 and above experience bridge employment, focusing on their motivations, perceptions of digitalization, and evolving work-life priorities.

Drawing on semi-structured interviews with older workers across various sectors in Italy, the research uses thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to uncover recurrent patterns and develop a multidimensional model of post-retirement work engagement. Preliminary findings suggest that bridge employment is often driven less by financial need and more by a desire for autonomy, social connection, and professional continuity. While digitalization is perceived as both a challenge and a catalyst for reinvention, retirement is reframed as a negotiable and dynamic life stage rather than a full withdrawal from economic activity.

The study contributes to theory by conceptualizing retirement as an evolving social construct shaped by identity, digital skills, and institutional context. Practically, it highlights the need for inclusive labor policies, age-friendly HR strategies, and targeted digital training to support meaningful late-life work engagement in an era of rapid technological change.

Abstract
In a context of profound demographic and social transformation, active ageing emerges as a fundamentally educational challenge. This study investigates the pedagogical value of cultural volunteering, focusing on the experience of AUSER, an Italian association for self-managed services and solidarity. As an informal learning environment, AUSER offers older adults meaningful opportunities for civic participation during the transition from work to retirement.
Based on a national survey involving 600 volunteers, the research shows how cultural engagement promotes lifelong learning and fosters a redefinition of later life as a time of agency, growth, and public involvement. The statistical analysis reveals a significant association between educational participation, not only for the correlation between formal education levels and skills, but also for the relevance of the non-formal and informal, of which participation in AUSER represents the continuity and the development of key competencies for Active Ageing. Notably, individuals with non-formal learning experiences report higher levels of subjective well-being, hopefulness, and community connectedness. Diverse work histories are also linked to stronger expressions of empathy, care, and social responsibility.
These findings support the hypothesis of a positive relationship between associative participation and transformative learning, underscoring the pedagogical role of the active participation on association, in fostering key competences. Cultural associations thus emerge not only as sites of engagement, but as enabling environments for the development of core life competencies that sustain Active Ageing. However, the data seem to highlight how the risks of exclusion of certain segments of the population persist, thus opening a reflection also in the associative sphere.

This study explores cultural volunteering as a non-formal educational environment that fosters relational, cooperative, and transformative learning. Based on a matrix integrating LifeComp, Life Skills, GreenComp, and Inner Development Goals, the research defines a profile of key competencies supporting lifelong learning and Active Ageing.
AUSER, a national association for self-managed services and solidarity, offers an exemplary case for investigating how civic engagement can act as a generator of pedagogical value in later life.

Methodology: A quantitative survey involving 600 AUSER volunteers across Italy was conducted at the beginning of 2025. The tool was based on a theoretical matrix of life and sustainability competencies, validated through a pilot in the Casentino inner area. The survey, administered via LimeSurvey, examined the relationship between socio-demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, education, work history) and items related to well-being, identity, and motivation. Chi-square tests (p < 0.05; near-significance at p < 0.1) were used to assess statistical associations.

Results: The AUSER sample reveals a complete absence of volunteers under the age of 35 (0%), in stark contrast to the 15.57% youth participation observed in the ISTAT national sample. This highlights a markedly different organizational profile compared to the broader landscape, where volunteering is more evenly distributed across age groups. Conversely, 87% of AUSER volunteers are aged 65 and above, with 63.11% between 65 and 74, and 24.37% over 74. These figures confirm AUSER’s role as a space for Active Ageing, while also underscoring the challenge of intergenerational renewal. The pronounced generational imbalance raises concerns about limited youth engagement and potential threats to the association’s long-term sustainability.
Participation in non-formal education is significantly associated with higher perceived self-efficacy: 84.6% of trained individuals report no difficulty in remaining active, compared to 62.9% of their non-trained counterparts (p < 0.01). Moreover, trained participants show a significantly stronger sense of identification with being part of "something larger than themselves" (p < 0.01).
The most pronounced effect is observed in relation to retirement planning. Individuals who engaged in retirement planning report substantially higher levels of satisfaction: 63.3% describe themselves as “fairly” satisfied and 24.74% as “very” satisfied, compared to 42% and 12% respectively among those who did not plan. This difference is statistically significant, indicating a strong correlation between planning and post-retirement well-being.
Respondents with diverse work trajectories demonstrate a stronger appreciation for the social value of work, along with greater adaptability and personal agency. Four primary competence clusters emerge as enabling factors in supporting active ageing: personal competencies, such as self-regulation, future orientation, and emotional well-being, often developed through lifelong learning; social competencies, including empathy, a sense of belonging, and solid relational networks, typically linked to age and educational engagement; and transformative or civic competencies, such as responsibility and public participation, fostered through involvement in associative life.

Conclusion: Cultural volunteering emerges as a catalyst for Active Ageing, enabling older adults to develop key competencies beyond retirement. These findings suggest that lifelong learning extends into later life through informal, socially embedded contexts.
Associations like AUSER provide environments where older people can reframe their biographies, exercise agency, and contribute meaningfully to society.
Policy frameworks should recognise the Third Sector’s pedagogical role in promoting inclusive, intergenerational learning ecosystems that support both personal development and community resilience.