Abstract

Beneficiaries of basic benefits for jobseekers who have reached the age of 63 were obliged to claim an early old-age pension until the end of 2022. This obligation was lifted on 1 January 2023 for a limited period until 31 December 2026. The change in the law aims to limit the exit of older people from the labour market through an early transition to the pension system. This should help to counter shortages of labour and skilled workers in the wake of demographic change. The present study is primarily interested in the extent to which the regulation influences the receipt of benefits by older recipients. For this purpose, exits from benefit receipt and into employment are analysed. Furthermore, the unemployment status and the participation in measures of active labour market policies of older benefit claimants are analysed.