The impact of educational and work trajectories on wellbeing in midlife: A comparison of Canada and Germany

Abstract

This study employs longitudinal data from Germany and Canada to investigate how patterns of education, employment and care work influence wellbeing in midlife and how these patterns differ by gender and national context. Although previous research has addressed wellbeing at different life stages, it has rarely examined long-term effects across gendered life trajectories within contrasting welfare state contexts. We conduct separate analyses for men and women using partial proportional odds models (PPO) to estimate wellbeing levels. The models include clusters of educational and employment trajectories, along with socio-demographic variables that capture individual and family contexts known to affect wellbeing. Our results extend prior research demonstrating that education and employment trajectories shape midlife wellbeing, with associations varying by gender and country. Our analyses illustrate that Canadian women are able to draw benefits from part-time work, whereas for German women no consistent associations emerge once family-centred factors are considered. Among German men, wellbeing seems to be shaped primarily by household income, while for Canadian men good health is significantly associated with wellbeing. Our study underscores how gendered life course patterns continue to influence wellbeing and how welfare state regularities reinforce these inequalities. We conclude with a critical reflection on the compatibility of work and family life and its implications for wellbeing among women and men.