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Retirement Outcomes in the Health and Retirement Study

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Author Info
Alan L. Gustman
Thomas L. Steinmeier
Abstract

This study examines retirement outcomes in the first four waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Measured retirement is seen to differ, sometimes substantially, with the definition of retirement used and among various groups analyzed. Moreover, these differences vary with the wave of the survey as respondents age. Retirement is comprised of a complex set of flows among states representing full time work, partial retirement and complete retirement. Seventy seven percent of transitions continue in the same or equivalent states between adjoining waves of the HRS; 17 percent involve a move from greater to lesser labor force participation, and 6 percent involve a move from states of lesser to greater labor force participation. Twenty two percent of the sample report they were partially retired at some time in the first four waves, and by age 65, over a fifth of the population is partially retired. Altogether, 14 percent of the sample experienced a reversal in the course of the survey, moving from a state of less work to a state of more work. Comparing retirement flows for men between the HRS and the 1969-1979 Retirement History Study, the large spike in the population leaving full time work at age 65 observed in the RHS is reduced to half its original size in the HRS, while the share leaving full time work at age 62 has almost doubled over time. The results presented here should help researchers to improve their understanding of the structure of the dependent variable in retirement studies.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 7588.

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Date of creation: Mar 2000
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:7588

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped

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  1. Alan Gustman & Olivia S. Mitchell & Thomas L. Steinmeier, . "Retirement Measures in the Health and Retirement Survey," Pension Research Council Working Papers 94-2, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.
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  1. Andrew Au & Olivia S. Mitchell & John W.R. Phillips, 2005. "Saving Shortfalls and Delayed Retirement," Working Papers wp094, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center. [Downloadable!]
  2. Mark E. Votruba, 2003. "Social Security and Retirees' Decision to Work," Working Papers 853, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section.. [Downloadable!]
  3. Kevin Neuman, 2008. "Quit Your Job and Get Healthier? The Effect of Retirement on Health," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 177-201, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. David E. Bloom & David Canning & Michael Moore & Younghwan Song, 2006. "The Effect of Subjective Survival Probabilities on Retirement and Wealth in the United States," PGDA Working Papers 1706, Program on the Global Demography of Aging. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Jeff Borland, 2005. "Transitions to Retirement: A Review," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2005n03, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
  6. Julia Lynn Coronado & Maria Perozek, 2003. "Wealth effects and the consumption of leisure: retirement decisions during the stock market boom of the 1900s," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2003-20, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  7. Jürgen Maurer & Roger Klein & Francis Vella, 2007. "Subjective Health Assessments and Active Labor Market Participation of Older Men: Evidence from a Semiparametric Binary Choice Model with Nonadditive Correlated Individual-Specific Effects," IZA Discussion Papers 3257, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  8. Chen Song & Louis Nguyen, 2003. "The Effect of Hernias on the Labor Force Participation of Union Army Veterans," NBER Chapters, in: Health and Labor Force Participation over the Life Cycle: Evidence from the Past, pages 253-310 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  9. Tunga Kantarci & Arthur Soest, 2008. "Gradual Retirement: Preferences and Limitations," De Economist, Springer, vol. 156(2), pages 113-144, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Avner Ahituv & Joeph Zeira, . "Technical Progress and Early Retirement," Working Papers 0801, University of Crete, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Esteban Calvo & Kelly Haverstick & Steven A. Sass, 2007. "What Makes Retirees Happier: A Gradual or 'Cold Turkey' Retirement?," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College wp2007-18, Center for Retirement Research, revised Oct 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. Trostel, P. & Walker, I., 2000. "Education and Work," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 554, University of Warwick, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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