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Labour supply, retirement, and consumption responses of older Europeans to inheritance receipt

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  • Eduard Suari-Andreu

    (University of Leiden
    Netspar)

Abstract

This study quantifies individuals’ responses to inheritance receipt in terms of their retirement, labour supply, and consumption decisions. Doing so is relevant for appraising the potential effects of tax and pension reforms, as well as for the assessment of how inheritances contribute to total wealth and to wealth inequality. I start out by developing a simple version of the life cycle model that explains how individuals trade-off between the different possible responses. I test the model using individual panel data from the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe. These data allow accounting for expectations about inheritances and retirement in the analysis. All estimated effects are not significantly different from zero and they indicate absence of large response in terms of labour supply and retirement.

Suggested Citation

  • Eduard Suari-Andreu, 2023. "Labour supply, retirement, and consumption responses of older Europeans to inheritance receipt," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(1), pages 33-75, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:64:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s00181-022-02242-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-022-02242-4
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    Cited by:

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    3. Ignacio Belloc & José Alberto Molina & Jorge Velilla, 2026. "Effects of Lottery Wins on Household Labor Supply," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 94(1), pages 90-115, January.
    4. Jorge Velilla & José Alberto Molina & Pierre-André Chiappori, 2025. "The price of breaking up: Wage shocks and household dissolution," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 1096, Boston College Department of Economics.
    5. Belloc, Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2025. "Consumption responses to inheritances: The role of durable goods," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    6. Belloc, Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2025. "When wealth hurts: Inheritances and the health of older Europeans," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    7. Ignacio Belloc & José Alberto Molina & Jorge Velilla, 2025. "Unexpected Inheritances and Household Labor Supply: Does the Identity of the Recipient Matter?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 71(1), February.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance

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