Review Gold Open Access 2026

Understanding the determinants of employability over the age of 45: A PRISMA systematic review

Acta Psychologica
Journal · Vol. 263 · Art. 106277
Abstract

Policymakers, researchers and practitioners have recently drawn attention to the issue of employability among workers over 45 in the context of an aging workforce. Consequently, a review of the determinants of employability among these workers is both necessary and timely. This systematic review thus addresses the question, aims to provide an overview of the antecedents of employability of employees over 45 but also to highlight through which conceptualization employability has been studied. A systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted using six databases relevant to the fields of work and organizational psychology, covering studies published between 1996 and 2025. In total, 39 studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Results showed that the determinants of employability of the older workers (+45) can be divided into four subsets of determinants: demographic, psychological, job characteristic and organizational. Our review highlighted the fact that most of the studies focused on demographic determinants and more specifically on age originating mostly from cross-sectional studies. Hence, many different conceptualizations and instruments used coexist, demonstrating a disparity in how determinants of employability have been studied. © 2026 The Authors

Keywords

Author Keywords

employability Mature worker Older worker Systematic literature review

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
NEOMA Business School, Mont-Saint-Aignan, Normandie, France
Centre de Recherche en Psychologie de la Connaissance, Centre de Recherche en Psychologie de la Connaissance, du Langage et de l'Émotion, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
Centre de Recherche sur le Travail et le Développement, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers, Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Économie et Gestion, Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry, Montpellier, Occitanie, France
Funding & Acknowledgements
Agence Nationale de la Recherche, ANR
The present study was financially supported by ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche; France), project \u201C Employability development of French workers and job-seekers aged 45 and over\u201D.
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