Abstract
This study examines the standard employment life course among the post-war generation in five countries traditionally classified as liberal and investigates variations in the pluralisation and differentiation of life course employment patterns within liberal welfare states. Using retrospective data from five liberal-leaning countries (England, Ireland, Switzerland, the United States, and Chile) we reconstruct men’s and women’s working trajectories from ages 15 to 65. Our sequence analysis reveals inconsistent levels of pluralisation across these countries but a consistent trend towards greater differentiation. We also find that gender and educational differences do not uniformly account for these patterns. The findings challenge the notion of all-pervasive standard employment within this generation and demonstrate that even nations sharing similar welfare typologies can produce divergent life course outcomes. We conclude that historical legacies, cultural norms, and market deregulations shape diverse employment pathways, underlining the need for comparative, longitudinal approaches. Implications for comparative research and potential policy levers are discussed cautiously.