Forced Retirement: An Avoidable Consequence of Disability Onset in Midlife?

Midlife is an important time in the working lives of many people, representing a time of potential peak earnings and career success. It can also be a time of challenge, particularly in light of the increasing prevalence of onset of chronic illness and disability (CID) in this population. U.S. State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (SVRAs) could be a critical resource for individuals, who due to the onset of CID in midlife, are at risk for involuntary retirement. Unfortunately, SVRAs are largely unknown to people outside of the disability community. To better understand involuntary retirement, data are presented from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study, providing insights on who is at the highest risk for involuntary retirement, and the circumstances surrounding their retirement decisions to determine whether VR agencies could fill this gap. Findings expose patterns of disparity in involuntary retirement based on race, socioeconomic status, and number of reported disabilities or health conditions. Individuals who retired involuntarily reported higher importance of health as a reason for retirement and lower importance of other reasons. Involuntary retirement appears to be a manifestation of CID, which potentially could be addressed with accommodations or vocational services available through SVRAs. Implications for rehabilitation counseling practice are presented.