Economics & Finance / Finance & Investment / Pensions & Retirement

Can French Seniors Actually Work Longer? The Shocking Health Gap

Didier Blanchet, Eve Caroli, Corinne Prost, Muriel Roger

France has pushed back retirement ages, assuming longer life means longer working capacity. But a 2016 study by Didier Blanchet, Eve Caroli, Corinne Prost, and Muriel Roger reveals a stark reality: while death rates suggest seniors can work an extra 7.7 years, their self-rated health tells a different story—many feel worse, not better. This video breaks down the Milligan-Wise and Cutler-Meara-Richards-Shubik models, showing how the 'health capacity to work' varies drastically by social class and education. White-collar workers may have the health to stay, but blue-collar workers are already overworked and sicker. Discover why France's pension reform may be built on a flawed assumption, and what this means for older workers worldwide.