1. The changing balance of work and retirement Martin Kohli and Martin Rein; 2. The evolution of early exit: a comparative analysis of labor force participation patterns Klaus Jacobs, Martin Kohli and Martin Rein; 3. Testing the industry-mix hypothesis of early exit Klaus Jacobs, Martin Kohli and Martin Rein; 4. The Netherlands: an extreme case Bert de Vroom and Martin Blomsma; 5. France: massive exit through unemployment compensation Anne-Marie Guillemard; 6. Germany: The diversity of pathways Klaus Jacobs, Martin Kohli and Martin Rein; 7. Great Britain: The contradictions of early exit Frank Laczko and Chris Phillipson; 8. The United States: The privatization of exit Harold L. Sheppard; 9. Sweden: partial exit Eskil Wadensjö; 10. Hungary: exit from the state economy Julia Szalai; 11. Pathways and their prospects: a comparative interpretation of the meaning of early exit Anne-Marie Guillemard and Herman van Gunsteren; Index.