Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP)

The Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) survey focuses on retirement transitions and the potential of older adults on the labour market, in civil society and in the family. As the TOP concentrates on the birth cohorts from 1942 to 1958, which are currently transitioning to retirement or adapting to this new life phase, the TOP defines itself as a ‘lifestage survey’ and as a supplement to existing studies in the German-speaking area. The Federal Institute for Population Research in Wiesbaden was responsible for project coordination.

Together with project partners from several cooperating universities (Jacobs University Bremen, Leuphana University Lüneburg, SRH University Berlin, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and Columbia University New York) a standardised questionnaire was developed from an interdisciplinary perspective. In addition to information on socio-demographics, the questionnaire also covers questions on the image of ageing, labour market participation and transitions to retirement, informal activities (e.g. volunteering or family support such as childcaring or caregiving), health and well-being as well as personality traits.

First Wave of the TOP

In early 2013, 5,002 telephone interviews were conducted on the basis of this questionnaire. These constitute a representative sample of the German-speaking residential population (simple random sampling, German landline network sample) of the 1942 to 1958 birth cohorts. The report on data and methods comprises detailed information on the study design, the survey method and the questionnaire used for the TOP study.

The results of the first wave of the TOP were made available for a broader public in a brochure. In cooperation with the project partners an edited volume was compiled in 2014 that presents the main results in peer-reviewed articles. Additionally, articles based on the data of the TOP had already been published in peer-reviewed journals.

The data of the first wave of the TOP study can be retrieved as a scientific use file via GESIS under the study number ZA6597.

Second Wave of the TOP

From November 2015 to February 2016, a total of 2,501 persons of the first wave in 2013 were surveyed again. The second wave of the TOP study enables the investigation of individual potential and transitions into retirement over time and how these change. One focus of the second wave is the explanation of the employment of older adults. This is to be explained using an action-theory approach which is embedded in family and occupational contexts for instance.

The first results of the second wave are presented in a brochure. In addition, a Policy Brief published in 2017 provides guidance and recommendations to promote the participation of older adults in the economy, society and the family. In 2019, a monograph was issued about the chief results of the action-theoretical approach of the two TOP waves aimed at explaining labour market participation during retirement age.

The data from the second wave of the TOP can also be accessed as a scientific use file on GESIS since January 2019.

Third Wave of the TOP

Another follow-up TOP survey was conducted in 2019 focusing on transitions to retirement by couples. For the first time, the life partners of the respondents were surveyed using a specially developed questionnaire.