Employment among older men and women in Vietnam: How their health played a role?

Purpose This study aims to explore the situations and socio-economic and health-related factors associated with employment of older men and women in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach This study used the nationally representative data in 2019 with a sample size of 3,049 older persons (those aged 60 and over). This study applied logistic regression analyses. Findings This study found that there were significant differences in employment rates between various groups of older men and women in terms of age group, residential place, marital status and educational level. Controlling for age, education, marital status, place of residence and (in) sufficient income for daily living, the results from logistic models indicated that health issues were strongly associated with lower probability to be employed for both genders. In all tests and regression models, that age and health condition were consistently related with lower employment probability of older persons implied an important consideration in raising normal retirement ages for both men and women. Research limitations/implications Due to limitation of the cross-sectional data, this research could not explore how health influences older people’s employment overtime. Practical implications Findings of this research provide important and adaptive policy insights for Vietnam to take advantage of older workers for economic growth under an aging population. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this has been among the first studies exploring the role of health, which was presented by different indicators, determining employment of older men and women in Vietnam.