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Cross-National Differences in Employment and Economic Sufficiency

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy M. Smeeding

    (Syracuse University)

  • Katherin Ross Phillips

    (The Urban Institute's Income and Benefits Policy Center)

Abstract

Economic independence is an important indicator of the transition to adulthood. This article portrays the level of economic in dependence among young adults, ages eighteen to thirty-two, in seven industrialized countries. The cross-national variations the authors uncover help one understand how work, family, and comparative income packages affect economic self-sufficiency. In all countries, young women are less able than are young men to become economically independent through market work alone. The ability to support a family is affected more by government transfers than the ability to support oneself. The authors also find that family support through additional income, the provision of housing, and caring labor as well as decisions to have roommates are clearly important to the economic well-being of young adults. In closing, the authors suggest several avenues for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy M. Smeeding & Katherin Ross Phillips, 2002. "Cross-National Differences in Employment and Economic Sufficiency," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 580(1), pages 103-133, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:580:y:2002:i:1:p:103-133
    DOI: 10.1177/000271620258000105
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Förster, 1993. "Comparing Poverty in 13 OECD Countries Traditional and Synthetic Approaches," LIS Working papers 100, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    2. Timothy Smeeding & Gary Burtless & Lee Rainwater, 2000. "United States Poverty in a Cross-National Context," LIS Working papers 244, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    3. repec:bla:revinw:v:39:y:1993:i:3:p:229-56 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Foster, James & Greer, Joel & Thorbecke, Erik, 1984. "A Class of Decomposable Poverty Measures," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(3), pages 761-766, May.
    5. Jantti, Markus & Danziger, Sheldon, 2000. "Income poverty in advanced countries," Handbook of Income Distribution, in: A.B. Atkinson & F. Bourguignon (ed.), Handbook of Income Distribution, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 6, pages 309-378, Elsevier.
    6. Sen, Amartya K, 1976. "Poverty: An Ordinal Approach to Measurement," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 44(2), pages 219-231, March.
    7. Katherin Ross Phillips & Timothy Smeeding, 1999. "Social Protection for the Poor in the Developed World: The Evidence from LIS," LIS Working papers 204, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    8. Robert Summers & Alan Heston, 1991. "The Penn World Table (Mark 5): An Expanded Set of International Comparisons, 1950–1988," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 327-368.
    9. Richard V. Burkhauser & Timothy M. Smeeding & Joachim Merz, 1996. "Relative Inequality And Poverty In Germany And The United States Using Alternative Equivalence Scales," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 42(4), pages 381-400, December.
    10. Peter Gottschalk & Timothy M. Smeeding, 1997. "Cross-National Comparisons of Earnings and Income Inequality," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(2), pages 633-687, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Richard Breen & Marlis Buchmann, 2002. "Institutional Variation and the Position of Young People: A Comparative Perspective," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 580(1), pages 288-305, March.
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