According to new regulations Danish trade union members are able to retire earlier than normal, at the age of 60-65 a. One of the reasons for retirement might be symptoms of wear and tear, eg, low-back pain. Questionnaires were sent to 157 semiskilled construction workers and 210 members of a reference group. Forty percent of the construction workers reported low-back pain as one of the reasons for retirement, whereas the corresponding percentage of referents was 25. Low-back pain occurred in the year before retirement for 68% of the construction workers and 50% of the reference group. The relationship between low-back pain, selection, and semiskilled construction work is discussed.