ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the historical, social, economic and institutional background of the actual problems of an ageing Dutch society. From an institutional point of view The Netherlands can be characterised as a country with a highly institutionalised low labour force participation of older workers, notwithstanding the fact that the formal age of retirement is 65. The ideological and cultural ideas have become institutionalised in all kinds of welfare state regulations and arrangements as well as in the daily practice of different labour market actors. The relative low labour market participation of older workers is a cultural and institutional effect. The low participation of women was directly related to the particular ‘ideology’ of a male breadwinner concept. The reconstruction of the early exit pathways is one of the central political objectives to realise the enlargement of the labour market participation of older workers.
