National Center on Women & Aging
2002 National Poll on Women 50+
Issue Brief Series  Issue No. 3

Work Status:  Staying Employed, Finding a Job
Page 3

 
Leisure Activities

In response to open-ended questions about activities they enjoy, working women are less likely¹ to name a volunteer activity (1% of workers vs. 5% of those retired).  Workers are also far less likely to mention religious observance, such as church going (3% vs. 6%).  But workers are more likely to say that work (9% vs. 2%) and quiet time (8% vs. 4%) are enjoyable activities for them.

When we asked working and retired women how they stay active, both groups tend to focus on physical activities such as exercise.  Retired women are more likely to talk about volunteering, hobbies, and spending time with friends than are workers.
 
 

[I enjoy] Working part-time at my small desktop publishing business.  — California, 64

I enjoy working at my job, still.  —  Maryland, 63

I walk a lot and I’m involved in community affairs.  I volunteer a lot.  — Ohio, 58

I walk, do housework, go to church, and do volunteer work.  — Arkansas, 56
 
 

Worry

Working and retired women also appear to have somewhat different characteristics when it comes to worry.  In fact, almost twice as many retired women as women working say they do not worry at all (12% vs. 6%).  But when they do worry, they are more likely to worry about global political or economic issues (8% vs. 4%) than are their working sisters.  While retired women are slightly more likely to say they worry about staying active and involved in their communities and in life (10% vs. 7%), they are less likely to worry about their physical health (24% vs. 31%) and/or about their financial health (16% vs. 21%).
 

There really isn’t anything that worries me.  — Oregon, 50

[I worry about] the war and all the wild things going on.  — Indiana, 52

[I worry about] my husband’s and my health — that we can live an active life until the end.  — Iowa, 69

Having enough money to retire on and not having to depend on someone as I get older.  — Texas, 61
 
 

¹  We are not able to test open-ended responses for statistically significant differences due to multiple response coding.
 

 

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Issue #3 pages:

 

Introduction

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3