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Pension systems revisited in the age of automation and an aging economy

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  • Kim, Jae-Yoon
  • Lee, Dongwoo

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of aging — an increase in longevity or a decrease in fertility rates — on pension benefits in an economy that incorporates automation capital in the production process. Across all three pension schemes—pay as you go, fully funded, and modified fully funded, we observe that the impact of increasing longevity is more pronounced than that of a decreasing fertility rate. Specifically, our analyses indicate that while increasing longevity consistently has a negative impact on pension benefits under all pension schemes, the impact of a decreasing fertility rate varies according to the pension scheme. Additionally, based on the common observation across all pension schemes that low-skilled households are vulnerable to the impacts of aging, we explore redistributive policies to improve the welfare of these households, and our findings indicate that the policy that leads to Pareto improvement can vary depending on the main driver of demographic transitions.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim, Jae-Yoon & Lee, Dongwoo, 2024. "Pension systems revisited in the age of automation and an aging economy," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:228:y:2024:i:c:s0167268124003986
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2024.106784
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    1. Olga Kneysler & Nataliia Spasiv & Mariia Soroka & Volodymyr Didyk, 2024. "Pension Provision in Ukraine: Challenges and Threats in Wartime," Oblik i finansi, Institute of Accounting and Finance, issue 4, pages 125-139, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Overlapping generations; Pension system; Automation; Demographic change; Robot taxes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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