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Aging, Labor Markets and Pension Reform in Austria

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  • Christian Keuschnigg
  • Mirela Keuschnigg

Abstract

This paper investigates the dynamic consequences of demographic change and various pension reform scenarios for Austria. The analysis is based on a computable overlapping generations model with life-cycle labor supply, savings, and search unemployment. The public sector is decomposed into general government and an unfunded pension system with a tax benefit linkage. Our quantitative analysis considers several pension reform scenarios on top of the demographic transition in an aging society. We find that lowering the pension replacement rate and increasing the retirement age can have strong labor market effects. They strengthen labor supply both in terms of job search intensity, leading to lower unemployment rates, and hours worked.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg, 2004. "Aging, Labor Markets and Pension Reform in Austria," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2004 2004-03, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    • Handle: RePEc:usg:dp2004:2004-03
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg & Reinhard Koman & Erik Lüth & Bernd Raffelüschen, 2000. "Public Debt and Generational Balance in Austria," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 27(3), pages 225-252, September.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kilponen, Juha & Kinnunen, Helvi & Ripatti, Antti, 2006. "Population ageing in a small open economy: some policy experiments with a tractable general equilibrium model," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 28/2006, Bank of Finland.
    2. Muhammad Rahman, 2008. "Demographic Uncertainty and Welfare in a Life-Cycle Model Under Alternative Public Pension Systems," CAEPR Working Papers 2008-024, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Department of Economics, Indiana University Bloomington.
    3. Dominik Grafenhofer & Christian Jaag & Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg, 2005. "Probabilistic Aging," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2005 2005-08, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    4. Anne-Célia Disdier & Keith Head, 2008. "The Puzzling Persistence of the Distance Effect on Bilateral Trade," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(1), pages 37-48, February.
    5. Isilda Mara & Edlira Narazani, 2011. "Labour-incentive reforms at preretirement age in Austria," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 38(4), pages 481-510, November.
    6. Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg & Christian Jaag, 2011. "Aging and the Financing of Social Security in Switzerland," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 147(II), pages 181-231, June.
    7. Friese, Max, 2017. "The interplay between trade unions and the social security system in an aging economy," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 148, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics.
    8. Dochka Velkova, 2008. "Changes in the Public Pension System and Their Impact on the Labor Market," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 22-59.
    9. Berger, Johannes & Strohner, Ludwig, 2020. "Documentation of the PUblic Policy Model for Austria and other European countries (PUMA)," Research Papers 11, EcoAustria – Institute for Economic Research.
    10. Geoffrey Hewings & Seryoung Park, 2007. "Aging and the Regional Economy: Simulation Results from the Chicago CGE Model," EcoMod2007 23900037, EcoMod.
    11. Juha Kilponen & Helvi Kinnunen & Antti Ripatti, 2006. "Demographic Uncertainty and Labour Market Imperfections in Small Open Economy," Computing in Economics and Finance 2006 227, Society for Computational Economics.
    12. Koka, Katerina & Kosempel, Stephen, 2014. "A life-cycle analysis of ending mandatory retirement," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 57-66.
    13. Casamatta, Georges & De Paoli, Caroline, 2007. "Choosing the Legal Retirement Age in Presence of Unemployment," CEPR Discussion Papers 6263, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Kilponen, Juha & Kinnunen, Helvi & Ripatti, Antti, 2006. "Population ageing in a small open economy : some policy experiments with a tractable general equilibrium model," Research Discussion Papers 28/2006, Bank of Finland.
    15. Pedro Portugal & Pedro S. Raposo, 2015. "Seriously Strengthening the Tax-Benefit Link," Working Papers w201505, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    16. Sánchez-Romero, Miguel & Sambt, Jože & Prskawetz, Alexia, 2013. "Quantifying the role of alternative pension reforms on the Austrian economy," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 94-114.
    17. Muhammad Rahman, 2008. "Demographic Uncertainty and Welfare in a Life-Cycle Model Under Alternative Public Pension Systems," Caepr Working Papers 2008-024, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Economics Department, Indiana University Bloomington.
    18. Zou, Tieding, 2017. "延迟退休的制约因素、政策效果与动态研究方法评价 [Restriction, Policy Effect and Dynamic Research Method to Delay Retirement]," MPRA Paper 85556, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 30 Jan 2018.
    19. Dominik Grafenhofer & Christian Jaag & Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg, 2007. "Economic ageing and demographic change," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 5(1), pages 133-165.
    20. Dai, Tiantian & Fan, Hua & Liu, Xiangbo & Ma, Chao, 2022. "Delayed retirement policy and unemployment rates," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    21. Friese, Max, 2015. "The labor market effect of demographic change: Alleviation for financing social security," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 138, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics.
    22. Christian Jaag, 2005. "The Role of Endogenous Skill Choice in an Aging Economy," Public Economics 0505005, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    23. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2006_028 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pension reform; demographic change; unemployment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • D58 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Computable and Other Applied General Equilibrium Models
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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