While policymakers emphasize the need to delay retirement age, numerous traditional industries, among them postal services, emphasize the need for employee downsizings. These can be contradictory needs. Downsizings can reduce work life satisfaction (WLS) among workers, and reduced WLS can decrease willingness to delay retirement age. In this cross-sectional study, we explore WLS trajectories of former postal service workers by analyzing quantitative survey data (N = 201) and qualitative interview data (N = 40). In the data, workers aged 50–67 years evaluate their lifelong work satisfaction. The results of the quantitative and the qualitative study complement and mirror each other. Same trajectories of WLS were identified in both data. One-third of the survey respondents reported decreasing WLS, which according to the qualitative data relates to employee downsizings. The article highlights the importance of acknowledging contextual elements of work satisfaction measurement and the benefits of combining methodological traditions to understand the longer-term dynamics involved.

中文翻译：

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前邮政服务人员终生工作满意度评估

尽管政策制定者强调必须推迟退休年龄，但许多传统行业，包括邮政业，都强调需要裁员。这些可能是矛盾的需求。裁员会降低工人的工作生活满意度（WLS），而降低WLS则会降低延迟退休年龄的意愿。在此横断面研究中，我们通过分析定量调查数据（N = 201）和定性访谈数据（N = 40）来探索前邮政服务人员的WLS轨迹。在数据中，50-67岁的工人评估了他们的终生工作满意度。定量和定性研究的结果相互补充并相互反映。在两个数据中都确定了WLS的相同轨迹。三分之一的受访者表示WLS有所下降，根据定性数据，这与员工裁员有关。本文强调了承认工作满意度测评的上下文元素的重要性以及结合方法论传统以了解所涉及的长期动态的好处。