decades. By 2036, around 20 per cent of pensioners aged 67 are projected to be affected. The groups most at risk include single women, the long-term unemployed and low-skilled workers. The outlook is particularly con­cerning for single women, with nearly one in three ex­pected to require basic social security benefits in retire­ment. Between 2015 and 2036, the proportion of female pensioners entitled to such benefits is projected to in­crease from 16 to almost 28 per cent, resulting in a risk of old-age poverty for single women that is nearly four times higher than the average rate of 7 per cent(ZEW 2017). This evidence points to a widening gender gap in economic security in old age, emphasising the impor­tance of addressing structural inequalities in both the ­labour market and pension systems. Despite these concerning projections, later-life employ­ment patterns are not uniformly negative; new trends such as so-called»un-retirement« offer a more nuanced picture. Many older adults continue to face financial in­security, declining health and uncertainty about the fu­ture, but research also points to un-retirement as a growing phenomenon in which individuals re-enter the labour market following retirement. Beyond financial considerations, many report a sense of loss upon leav­ing work. A survey by Randstad found that 32 per cent of retirees felt they needed employment in their lives. Work provides more than income; it also offers mean­ing, purpose, social interaction and mental stimulation, helping individuals remain engaged and fostering a continued sense of belonging(Randstad 2023). Re ­search further suggests that returning to work is not driven solely by ­financial necessity; for many, un-retire­ment represents a lifestyle choice that provides contin­ued engagement and purpose(Lassen and Vrangbæk 2021). This decision is also influenced by the nature of retirees’ skills: those whose skills are less vulnerable to automation are particularly likely to find the prospect of returning to work appealing, and the relationship be­tween skill automatability and un-retirement remains significant even after accounting for psychological and financial circumstances(Lee 2022). These findings high ­light that later-life employment is shaped by financial, social, and technological factors, and that retirees’ skills and vulnerability to automation should direct labour market policies that sustain meaningful engagement among older workers. Overall, this section illustrates how ageing, gender, and technological change might shape more negative labour-­market outcomes and undermine pension securi­ty for older workers. Persistent disparities and ageism— including limited opportunities for retraining and the prevalence of early retirement, particularly among ­women—may pose significant challenges as emerging technologies continue to transform work. At present, only a small number of studies address these issues, highlighting the need for further research to better un­derstand the mechanisms driving these disparities, espe­cially as European societies continue to age in parallel with ongoing digital transformation. Such insights will be essential for designing policies that support more in­clusive labour-market transitions for older adults.  Conclusion Drawing on peer-reviewed research, policy reports and grey literature, this scoping review has mapped current research trends and highlighted conceptual and empiri­cal gaps that limit our understanding of how technologi­cal change reshapes women’s working lives. The review situates automation within the broader socio-economic transformation, highlighting the intersections between the integration of new technologies in the workplace and existing gender divisions within labour markets. The emerging evidence suggests that automation may pose specific challenges for women’s employment tra­jectories, potentially widening wage and employment gaps in the absence of targeted policy interventions. ­The introduction of new technologies brings new psy­chosocial risks affecting worker’s well-being, from uncer­tainty about the future of employment and loss of au­tonomy to increasing stress and job strains. In the con­text of ageing populations and extended working lives, women may face career changes later in life, and ageism in the labour market can increase the likelihood of early retirement, ultimately contributing to lower lifetime pen­sion accumulation and a heightened risk of social exclu­sion in older age. Together, these dynamics highlight the urgency for introducing gender-responsive policies that address both immediate workplace risks and longer­term vulnerabilities across the life course. Adaptability to automation is frequently framed in indi­vidualised terms, focusing on workers’ skills and resil­ience while neglecting structural determinants such as precarious work, deregulation and the erosion of em­ployment security. These processes reveal that adapt­ability is unequally distributed and shaped by institu­tional and social contexts. Institutional factors – such as welfare regimes, care systems and models of industrial relations – play a central role in shaping gendered out­comes and must be incorporated into future analyses. Moreover, the limited application of intersectional per­spectives obscures how automation intersects with other forms of inequality, including class, age and migration status. Addressing these gaps is essential not only for developing effective policy measures to promote gender equality in evolving work environments but also for ad­vancing scientific understanding of the interplay be­tween social structures and digital transformation, rath­er than treating them as separate domains. Despite ongoing public discussion of women entering STEM fields, current research tends to overlook female-­dominated sectors such as health care, education and Conclusion 17