Retirement reloaded: Bridge Employment, Ageing Workforce and the Digital Transition

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 study explores how individuals aged 60 and above experience bridge employment, focusing on their motivations, perceptions of digitalization, and evolving work-life priorities.