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

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.