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Aging and Labor Force Participation: A Review of Trends and Explanations

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Author Info
David A. Wise
Robin L. Lumsdaine

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Abstract

The American population is aging rapidly. Persons 65 and over who now constitute about one-fifth of the population will constitute about two-fifths of the population by 2040. In addition, individuals are living longer. Yet the labor force participation of older Americans has fallen dramatically in recent years. This paper discusses this trend and the principal arguments put forth to explain it. The paper is in two parts. The first part reviews trends in labor force participation and associated trends in Social Security (SS) coverage, firm pension plan coverage, and other factors that are likely to be associated with the labor force participation trends, including demographics. The second part of the paper discusses the incentive effects of SS and retirement plans, with emphasis on firm pension plans.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 3420.

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Date of creation: Aug 1990
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3420

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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. Hausman, Jerry A & Wise, David A, 1980. "Discontinuous Budget Constraints and Estimation: The Demand for Housing," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(1), pages 75-96, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Berkovec, James & Stern, Steven, 1991. "Job Exit Behavior of Older Men," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 59(1), pages 189-210, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Alan L. Gustman & Thomas L. Steinmeier, 1986. "A Structural Retirement Model," NBER Working Papers 1237, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Douglas W. Phillips & David A. Wise, 1987. "Military versus Civilian Pay: A Descriptive Discussion," NBER Chapters, in: Public Sector Payrolls, pages 19-46 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  5. Laurence J. Kotlikoff & David A. Wise, 1987. "The Incentive Effects of Private Pension Plans," NBER Chapters, in: Issues in Pension Economics, pages 283-340 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Howard L. Frant & Herman B. Leonard, 1987. "Promise Them Anything: The Incentive Structures of Local Public Pension Plans," NBER Chapters, in: Public Sector Payrolls, pages 215-242 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  7. Barry J. Nalebuff & Richard J. Zeckhauser, 1985. "Pensions and the Retirement Decision," NBER Chapters, in: Pensions, Labor, and Individual Choice, pages 283-316 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Stock, J.H. & Wise, D.A., 1988. "The Pension Inducement To Retire: An Option Value Analysis," Papers e-88-29, Stanford - Hoover Institution.
    Other versions:
  9. 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)
  10. Edward P. Lazear, 1983. "Pensions as Severance Pay," NBER Chapters, in: Financial Aspects of the United States Pension System, pages 57-90 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  11. Steven G. Allen & Robert L. Clark & Ann A. McDermed, 1988. "Why Do Pensions Reduce Mobility?," NBER Working Papers 2509, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Burtless, Gary, 1986. "Social Security, Unanticipated Benefit Increases, and the Timing of Retirement," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(5), pages 781-805, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Gary Burtless & Jerry A. Hausman, 1983. ""Double Dipping": The Combined Effects of Social Security and Civil Service Pensions on Employee Retirement," NBER Working Papers 0800, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. Stock, J.H. & Wise, D.A., 1988. "Pensions, The Option Value Of Work, And Retirement," Papers e-88-28, Stanford - Hoover Institution.
    Other versions:
  15. David T. Ellwood, 1985. "Pensions and the Labor Market: A Starting Point (The Mouse Can Roar)," NBER Chapters, in: Pensions, Labor, and Individual Choice, pages 19-54 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  16. Gustman, Alan L & Steinmeier, Thomas L, 1986. "A Structural Retirement Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 54(3), pages 555-84, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Lawrence Summers & Chris Carroll, 1987. "Why Is U.S. National Saving So Low?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 18(1987-2), pages 607-642. [Downloadable!]
  18. Jeremy I. Bulow, 1981. "Early Retirement Pension Benefits," NBER Working Papers 0654, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Laurence J. Kotlikoff & David A. Wise, 1987. "Labor Compensation and the Structure of Private Pension Plans: Evidencefor Contractual Versus Spot Labor Markets," NBER Working Papers 1290, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  20. John Rust, 1987. "A Dynamic Programming Model of Retirement Behavior," NBER Working Papers 2470, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  21. Jerry A. Hausman & David A. Wise, 1985. "Social Security, Health Status, and Retirement," NBER Chapters, in: Pensions, Labor, and Individual Choice, pages 159-192 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  22. Edward P. Lazear & Robert L. Moore, 1988. "Pensions and Turnover," NBER Chapters, in: Pensions in the U.S. Economy, pages 163-190 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  23. Richard V. Burkhauser, 1980. "The early acceptance of social security: An asset maximization approach," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 33(4), pages 484-492, July.
  24. Alan S. Blinder & Roger H. Gordon & Donald E. Wise, 1981. "Reconsidering the Work Disincentive Effects of Social Security," NBER Working Papers 0562, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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. Leora Friedberg, 1997. "The Effect of Old Age Assistance on Retirement," University of California at San Diego, Economics Working Paper Series 97-14, Department of Economics, UC San Diego. [Downloadable!]
  2. Courtney Coile & Jonathan Gruber, 2000. "Social Security Incentives for Retirement," NBER Working Papers 7651, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Klaus-Jürgen Gern, 2002. "Recent Developments in Old Age Pension Systems: An International Overview," NBER Chapters, in: Social Security Pension Reform in Europe, pages 439-478 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  4. John Rust & Christopher Phelan, 1994. "How Social Security and Medicare Affect Retirement Behavior in a World of Incomplete Markets," Public Economics 9406005, EconWPA, revised 06 Jul 1994. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Jonathan Gruber & Jeffrey D. Kubik, 1994. "Disability Insurance Rejection Rates and the Labor Supply of Older Workers," NBER Working Papers 4941, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Courtney Coile & Jonathan Gruber, 2002. "Social Security And Retirement," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College 2000-11, Center for Retirement Research. [Downloadable!]
  7. Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan & David N. Weil, 2004. "Mortality Change, the Uncertainty Effect, and Retirement," Working Papers 2004-04, Department of Economics, University of Houston. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Peter Diamond & Jonathan Gruber, 1997. "Social Security and Retirement in the U.S," NBER Working Papers 6097, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Jonathan Gruber, 1996. "Disability Insurance Benefits and Labor Supply," NBER Working Papers 5866, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  10. Alan L. Gustman & F. Thomas Juster, 1995. "Income and Wealth of Older American Households: Modeling Issues for Public Policy Analysis," NBER Working Papers 4996, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. David A. Wise, 2001. "Introduction to "Aging Issues in the United States and Japan"," NBER Chapters, in: Aging Issues in the United States and Japan, pages 1-24 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  12. Steven F. Venti & David A. Wise, 1996. "The Wealth of Cohorts: Retirement Saving and the Changing Assets of Older Americans," NBER Working Papers 5609, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  13. Julie Berry Cullen, 1999. "The Impact of Fiscal Incentives on Student Disability Rates," NBER Working Papers 7173, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  14. Robalino, David A. & Zylberstajn, Helio, 2009. "Ex-ante methods to assess the impact of social insurance policies on labor supply with an application to Brazil," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5027, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  15. Andrew A. Samwick, 1998. "New Evidence on Pensions, Social Security, and the Timing of Retirement," NBER Working Papers 6534, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  16. Courtney Coile & Jonathan Gruber, 2000. "Social Security and Retirement," NBER Working Papers 7830, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Alexander Elu Teran, 2006. "The work of Spanish men. A quantitative analysis based on census data, 1900-1970," Working Papers in Economics 153, Universitat de Barcelona. Espai de Recerca en Economia. [Downloadable!]
  18. Richard Woodbury, 2001. "The Motivations for Business Retirement Policies," NBER Chapters, in: Aging Issues in the United States and Japan, pages 307-334 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  19. Courtney Coile & Jonathan Gruber, 2004. "The Effect of Social Security on Retirement in the United States," NBER Chapters, in: Social Security Programs and Retirement around the World: Micro-Estimation, pages 691-730 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  20. Grant M Scobie & John K Gibson, 2003. "Household Saving Behaviour in New Zealand: Why do Cohorts Behave Differently?," Treasury Working Paper Series 03/32, New Zealand Treasury. [Downloadable!]
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