Areas of research

• Social inequalities in work and retirement
• Careers and labour market mobility across the life course
• Political economy of labour market and pension reforms

Presentation

My research focuses on the ways people transition from work to retirement. I am mainly interested in the role of individual characteristics and different life courses on the one hand, and the role of labour-market structures and policy context on the other. Apart from studying the Finnish situation, I am keen on doing comparative research. My academic background is in quantitative Sociology and Social Policy. I am particularly interested in using advanced and innovative methods to analyse longitudinal register and survey data. I am also a Consulting Editor for the journal Work, Aging and Retirement and a Fellow of the Network of Studies on Pensions, Ageing and Retirement (Netspar).

• ORCID
• ResearchGate
• Google Scholar

Ongoing research projects

• Unequal labour market entry in times of COVID-19
• Arduous careers and early exit in times of longer working lives
• The careers of light entrepreneurs

Read more: Ongoing Research Projects.

Publications

• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Polvinen, A. (2026). Working longer in a less arduous job? A register study of physically demanding work and early labor market exit in Finland. Journal of Population Ageing.
• Sten-Gahmberg, S. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kauhanen, M. (2026). Income and employment of platform workers in Finland: A study linking survey and register data. Finnish Centre for Pensions, Reports 05/2026.
• Vidlund, M. & Kuitto, K. & Mielonen, A. & Väänänen, N. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2025) Eläketurvan rakenteelliset uudistukset kansainvälisessä vertailussa. [Paradigmatic Pension Reforms in International Comparison]. Eläketurvakeskuksen raportteja 09/2025. Finnish Centre for Pensions.
• Polvinen, A. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Perhoniemi, R. (2025) Pathways into and out of temporary disability retirement: an 8-year sequence analysis study in Finland. European Journal of Public Health.
• Henkens, K. & Van Dalen, H. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2025) Managing an older workforce and retirement. The employer’s perspective, in: Wang, M. (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Retirement (Second Edition). Oxford University Press. Link to chapter (behind paywall) | Link to working paper version (Netspar).
• Palomäki, L.-M. & Liukko, J. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Tenhunen, S. (2025) Retirement timing and changes in quality of life: a retrospective analysis of transition from employment to old-age retirement in Finland. European Journal of Ageing 22, 44.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. & Möhring, K. & Palomäki, L.-M. (2025) A long arm of adversity? Financial hardship during the life course and income in retirement. European Societies 27 (3): 545–579.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Polvinen A. (2025) Arduous careers in times of longer working lives : The role of the years-of-service pension and other early exit routes. Finnish Centre for Pensions, Studies 01/2025.
• Polvinen, A. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Nivalainen, S. & Kuivalainen, S. (2025) Patterns of work and retirement in a pension system with a flexible old-age retirement age: a register study of Finnish employees and self-employed persons born in 1949. Work, Aging and Retirement 11 (1): 119–125.
• Palomäki, L.-M. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. (2025) What it means to be poor: Dimensions of economic hardship among older people living in poverty across Europe. Ageing & Society 45 (5): 947–968. | Accepted manuscript version.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. (2024) Educational expansion as a driver of longer working lives? Regression decomposition analysis of changes in labour force participation at older ages in twenty-first century Europe. Comparative Population Studies 49: 141-168.
• Sten-Gahmberg, S. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2024) Light entrepreneurs in Finland : A longitudinal study of careers, income and pension accrual. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 04/2024.
• Järnefelt, N. & Kuitto, K. & Kyyrä, T. & Paukkeri, T. & Ravaska, T. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2024) Sosiaaliset normit ohjaavat eläkkeelle jäämistä. Policy Brief – SustAgeable 1/2024.
• Palomäki, L.-M. & Liukko, J. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Tenhunen, S. (2024) Vanhuuseläkkeelle siirtyminen ja muutos elämänlaadussa: Kyselytutkimus vuosina 2019–2021 palkkatyöstä vanhuuseläkkeelle siirtyneille. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 03/2024.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Järnefelt, N. & Laaksonen, M. & Liukko, J. (2024) Labour shortages and employer preferences in retaining and recruiting older workers. International Journal of Manpower 45 (4): 838–863. | Accepted manuscript version.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. (2024) Employers’ retirement age norms in European comparison. Work, Aging and Retirement 10 (4): 317–330.
• Tenhunen, S. & Järnefelt, N. & Nivalainen, S. & Polvinen, A. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2023) Työ, terveys ja sosiaaliset suhteet vanhuuseläkkeelle siirtymisen taustalla: Kyselytutkimus työstä vanhuuseläkkeelle siirtyneille [Work, health and social relations underlying retirement: Results from a survey among pensioners retiring from work]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 03/2023.
• Palomäki, L. & Kuitto, K. & Kuivalainen, S. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2023) Size or content of the pie? Source of income and perceived income adequacy of older Europeans. Journal of Aging & Social Policy 35 (1): 70–88.
• Neupane, S. & Kyrönlahti, S. & Oakman, J. & Siukola, A. & Riekhoff, A-J & Kuivalainen, S. & Nygård, C-H. (2023) Can workplace intervention prolong work life of older workers? A quasi‑experimental study. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 96: 237–246.
• Polvinen, A. & Riekhoff, A. & Nivalainen, S. & Kuivalainen, S. (2022) Educational inequalities in employment of Finns aged 60-68 in 2006-2018. PLoS ONE 17 (10): e0276003.
• Järnefelt, N. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Laaksonen, M. & Liukko, J. (2022) Työnantajien mielikuvat yli 55-vuotiaista työntekijöistä, tuki työurien jatkumiselle ja esteet palkkaamiselle [Employer perceptions of workers older than 55, support for continued working, and obstacles in recruitment]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 05/2022.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. (2022) Educational differences in extending working lives: Trends in effective exit ages in 16 European countries. Finnish Centre for Pensions, Studies 02/2022.
• Alasoini, T. & Joensuu, M. & Juvonen-Posti, P. & Järnefelt, N. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Toivio, P. & Turunen, J. (2022) Työelämän ja työmarkkinoiden muutos: Haasteita ja kehittämistarpeita sosiaaliturvan uudistamiselle [The transformation of the labour market and working life: Challenges and development needs related to the social security reform]. Sosiaaliturvakomitean julkaisuja 2022:7. Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö: Helsinki.
• Järnefelt, N. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Laaksonen, M. & Liukko, J. (2022) Työnantajien näkemyksiä eläkeiästä ja työurien pidentämisestä: Työnantajatutkimusten tuloksia vuosilta 2004, 2011 ja 2021 [Employer’s view on retirement age and extending working lives. Results of employer survey in 2004, 2011 and 2021]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 01/2022.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. (2022) Good or bad (in) stability? A cross-cohort study of the relation between career stability and earnings mobility in Finland. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 77: 100674.
• Nivalainen, S. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Tenhunen, S. & Salonen, J. (2022) Partial old-age pension: A picture of claimants in 2017–2020. Finnish Centre for Pensions, Studies 06/2021.