This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Age and individual productivity: a literature survey

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Vegard Skirbekk (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)
Abstract

This article surveys supervisors’ ratings, work-sample tests, analyzes of employer-employee datasets and other approaches used to estimate how individual productivity varies by age. The causes of productivity variations over the life cycle are addressed with an emphasis on how cognitive abilities affect labor market performance. Individual job performance is found to decrease from around 50 years of age, which contrasts almost life-long increases in wages. Productivity reductions at older ages are particularly strong for work tasks where problem solving, learning and speed are needed, while in jobs where experience and verbal abilities are important, older individuals’ maintain a relatively high productivity level.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.demogr.mpg.de/papers/working/wp-2003-028.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no
File URL: http://www.demogr.mpg.de/cgi-bin/publications/paper.plx?pubid=1795
File Format: text/html
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany in its series MPIDR Working Papers with number WP-2003-028.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length: 38 pages
Date of creation: Jul 2003
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2003-028

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.demogr.mpg.de/

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Peter Wilhelm).

Related research
Keywords: working-age population;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Lazear, E.P., 1988. "Adjusting To An Aging Labor Force," Papers e-88-34, Stanford - Hoover Institution.
    Other versions:
  2. Harris, Milton & Holstrom, Bengt, 1982. "A Theory of Wage Dynamics," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(3), pages 315-33, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. David W. Galenson & Bruce A. Weinberg, 2000. "Age and the Quality of Work: The Case of Modern American Painters," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(4), pages 761-777, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Bernt Bratsberg & James F. Ragan & Jr & John T. Warren, 2003. "Negative returns to seniority: New evidence in academic markets," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 56(2), pages 306-323, January.
  5. Daniel Rodriguez & Madeline Zavodny, 2003. "Changes in the age and education profile of displaced workers," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 56(3), pages 498-510, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. John C. Haltiwanger & Julia I. Lane & James R. Spletzer, 1999. "Productivity Differences across Employers: The Roles of Employer Size, Age, and Human Capital," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(2), pages 94-98, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Medoff, James L & Abraham, Katharine G, 1980. "Experience, Performance, and Earnings," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 95(4), pages 703-36, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. David Autor & Frank Levy & Richard Murnane, 2003. "The skill content of recent technological change: an empirical exploration," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Ahituv, Avner & Zeira, Joseph, 2000. "Technical Progress and Early Retirement," CEPR Discussion Papers 2614, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  10. John H. Tyler & Richard J. Murnane & John B. Willett, 1999. "Do the Cognitive Skills of School Dropouts Matter in the Labor Market?," NBER Working Papers 7101, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Richard J. Murnane & John B. Willett & Frank Levy, 1995. "The Growing Importance of Cognitive Skills in Wage Determination," NBER Working Papers 5076, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  12. Bartel, Ann P & Sicherman, Nachum, 1993. "Technological Change and Retirement Decisions of Older Workers," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 11(1), pages 162-83, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Janet Currie & Duncan Thomas, 1999. "Early Test Scores, Socioeconomic Status and Future Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 6943, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Judith K. Hellerstein & David Neumark & Kenneth R. Troske, 1996. "Wages, Productivity, and Worker Characteristics: Evidence from Plant-Level Production Functions and Wage Equations," NBER Working Papers 5626, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  15. Hutchens, Robert M, 1989. "Seniority, Wages and Productivity: A Turbulent Decade," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 3(4), pages 49-64, Fall. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Abowd, John M. & Kramarz, Francis, 1999. "The analysis of labor markets using matched employer-employee data," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 40, pages 2629-2710 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Dr. Peter Kenning & Hilke Plassmann, 2004. "NeuroEconomics," Experimental 0412005, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  18. Lazear, Edward P, 1979. "Why Is There Mandatory Retirement?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(6), pages 1261-84, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Juhn, Chinhui & Murphy, Kevin M & Pierce, Brooks, 1993. "Wage Inequality and the Rise in Returns to Skill," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(3), pages 410-42, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Burgess, Simon & Rees, Hedley, 1996. "Job Tenure in Britain 1975-92," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(435), pages 334-44, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Altonji, Joseph G. & Blank, Rebecca M., 1999. "Race and gender in the labor market," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 48, pages 3143-3259 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  22. Torbjørn Hægeland and Tor Jakob Klette, 1997. "Do Higher Wages Reflect Higher Productivity? Education, Gender and Experience Premiums in a Matched Plant-Worker Data Set," Discussion Papers 208, Research Department of Statistics Norway.
    Other versions:
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Carone, Giuseppe & Denis, Cécile & Mc Morrow, Kieran & Mourre, Gilles & Röger, Werner, 2006. "Long-term labour productivity and GDP projections for the EU25 Member States : a production function framework," MPRA Paper 744, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  2. Andrea Ichino & Guido Schwerdt & Rudolf Winter-Ebmer & Josef Zweimüller, 2007. "Too Old to Work, Too Young to Retire?," IZA Discussion Papers 3110, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Karakaya, Güngör, 2008. "Early cessation of activity in the labour market: impact of supply and demand factors," MPRA Paper 13390, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Golo Henseke & Pascal Hetze & Thusnelda Tivig, 2007. "Aging in German Industries and Selected Professions (Alterung der Erwerbspersonen in Deutschland)," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 73, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  5. Beate Henschel & Carsten Pohl & Marcel Thum, 2008. "Demographic Change and Regional Labour Markets: The Case of Eastern Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
  6. Andrés Erosa & Luisa Fuster & Diego Restuccia, 2005. "A Quantitative Theory of the Gender Gap in Wages," Working Papers tecipa-199, University of Toronto, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Jacques Poot, 2007. "Demographic Change and Regional Competitiveness: The Effects of Immigration and Ageing," Population Studies Centre Discussion Papers dp-64, University of Waikato, Population Studies Centre. [Downloadable!]
  8. Katrin Schleife, 2004. "Computer Use and the Employment Status of Older Workers - An Analysis Based on Individual Data," Darmstadt Discussion Papers in Economics 145, Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre (Department of Economics), Technische Universität Darmstadt (Darmstadt University of Technology). [Downloadable!]
  9. Lutz Schneider, 2007. "Alterung und technologisches Innovationspotential : Eine Linked-Employer-Employee-Analyse," IWH Discussion Papers 2-07, Halle Institute for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  10. Jana Bruder & Katharina Frosch, 2006. "Foreign Nationality and Age - A Double Drawback for Reemployment in Germany?," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 63, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  11. Golo Henseke & Thusnelda Tivig, 2008. "Age, Occupations, and Opportunities for Older Workers in Germany," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 86, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  12. Thierry Lallemand & François Rycx, 2008. "Are young and old workers harmful for firm productivity?," Working Papers DULBEA 09-02.RS, Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Beatrice Scheubel & Joachim Winter, 2008. "Rente mit 67: Wie lange die Deutschen arbeiten können und wollen," Ifo Schnelldienst, Ifo Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 61(01), pages 26-32, 09. [Downloadable!]
  14. Hofer, Helmut & Url, Thomas, 2005. "Growth Effects of Age-related Productivity Differentials in an Ageing Society. A Simulation Study for Austria," Economics Series 179, Institute for Advanced Studies. [Downloadable!]
  15. Santos-Pinto, Luís, 2005. "Positive self-image over time," MPRA Paper 3145, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 27 Apr 2006. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  16. Sandrine Levasseur, 2008. "Progrès technologique et employabilité des seniors," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2008-16, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE). [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? The yearly budget of IDEAS is exactly $0: it relies entirely on volunteer work.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-17.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.