Early retirement schemes: Factors governing their success and how these differ across job categories

Following a brief review of research on special early retirement,provides a summary of a recent extensive study by Maule, Cliff and Taylor (in press) and re‐interprets the findings of this study in the context of the development of effective early retirement schemes. Discusses effectiveness in terms of the factors which are important in the decision and how these should be presented, the worries and concerns which people have about early retirement and how these should be addressed, ways of helping people make the decision and the factors at the point of decision that are likely to affect the quality of life in retirement. Considers of the ways in which each of these factors affect different groups of workers and the possibility that retirement schemes can be targeted to be differentially attractive to different groups.