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Optimal response to a transitory demographic shock in Social Security financing

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  • Juan Carlos Conesa
  • Carlos Garriga

Abstract

The authors consider a transitory demographic shock that affects negatively the financing of retirement pensions-that is, workers either would have to pay more or retirees would receive less. In contrast to the existing literature, the authors endogenously determine optimal policies rather than explore the implications of exogenous parametric responses. Their approach identifies optimal strategies of the Social Security Administration to guarantee the financial sustainability of existing retirement pensions in a Pareto-improving way. Hence, no cohort will pay the cost of the demographic shock. The authors find that the optimal strategy is based on the following ingredients: elimination of compulsory retirement, a change in the structure of labor income taxation, and a temporary increase in the level of government debt.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Carlos Conesa & Carlos Garriga, 2009. "Optimal response to a transitory demographic shock in Social Security financing," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 91(Jan), pages 33-48.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlrv:y:2009:i:jan:p:33-48:n:v.91no.1
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    Cited by:

    1. Yigit Aydede, 2010. "Generational selfishness and social security: a time‐inconsistency problem in parametric reforms of PAYG," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 179-190.
    2. Bagchi Shantanu, 2017. "Can removing the tax cap save Social Security?," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(2), pages 1-28, June.
    3. Bagchi, Shantanu, 2019. "Differential mortality and the progressivity of social security," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Shantanu Bagchi, 2023. "Means Testing and Social Security in the U.S," Working Papers 2023-01, Towson University, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2023.
    5. Yigit Aydede, 2010. "Generational selfishness and social security: a time-inconsistency problem in parametric reforms of PAYG," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 179-190.
    6. Casamatta, G. & Batté, L., 2016. "The Political Economy of Population Aging," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 381-444, Elsevier.
    7. Craig P. Aubuchon & Juan Carlos Conesa & Carlos Garriga, 2011. "A primer on social security systems and reforms," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 93(Jan), pages 19-35.

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