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A Worker’s Backpack as an Alternative to PAYG Pension Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Julián Díaz-Saavedra
  • Ramon Marimon
  • João Brogueira de

Abstract

Facing an ageing population and historical trends of low employment rates, pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pension systems, currently in place in several European countries, imply very large economic and welfare costs in the coming decades. In an overlapping generations economy with incomplete insurance markets and frictional labour markets, an employment fund, which can be used while unemployed or retired, can enhance production efficiency and social welfare. With an appropriate design, the sustainable Backpack employment fund (BP) can greatly outperform (measured by average social welfare in the economy) existing PAYG systems and also Pareto dominate a full privatization of the pension system, as well as a standard fully funded defined contribution pension system. We show this in a calibrated model of the Spanish economy, by comparing the effect of its ageing transition under these different pension systems and by showing how a front-loaded transition from the PAYG to the BP system can be Pareto improving, while minimizing the cost of the reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Julián Díaz-Saavedra & Ramon Marimon & João Brogueira de, 2023. "A Worker’s Backpack as an Alternative to PAYG Pension Systems," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 21(5), pages 1944-1993.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jeurec:v:21:y:2023:i:5:p:1944-1993.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeea/jvad021
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    Cited by:

    1. Mazza, Jan, 2025. "Inheritance Expectations, Dynastic Altruism, and Education," SocArXiv 6dzwq_v1, Center for Open Science.
    2. João Brogueira de Sousa & Julián Díaz-Saavedra & Ramon Marimon, 2022. "Introducing an Austrian backpack in Spain," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 13(3), pages 513-556, September.
    3. Díaz-Giménez, Javier & Díaz-Saavedra, Julián, 2025. "Public pensions reforms: Financial and political sustainability," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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