Alcohol’s Role in Work-Force Entry and Retirement

Employment and drinking behavior interact in intriguing ways both upon entrance to and departure from the labor force. Teenagers who work are more likely to drink than their unemployed peers, possibly offsetting the expected advantages of gaining early job experience. For young people in general, early heavy drinking can curtail continuing education and stifle opportunities for career advancement. At the opposite end of the age spectrum, some retirees may turn to alcohol to fill leisure time and cope with the stresses associated with retirement as a major life change. Other retirees, however, may cut back on drinking once they are freed from job-related stress, leave a work environment that encourages alcohol use, or experience financial constraints. Although tolerance to alcohol’s effects wanes with advancing age, older adults who remain employed are more apt than retirees to drink heavily. Alternatively, older workers may decide to restrict their drinking to keep pace with younger colleagues.