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Inequality and Social Security Reforms

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  • Jean-Olivier Hairault

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • François Langot

    (PJSE - Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CEPREMAP - Centre pour la recherche économique et ses applications - ECO ENS-PSL - Département d'économie de l'ENS-PSL - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, GAINS - Groupe d'Analyse des Itinéraires et des Niveaux Salariaux - UM - Le Mans Université)

Abstract

This paper develops a quantitative Markovian overlapping generations model with altruistic individuals and incomplete financial markets in order to analyze the long-run distributional implications of two hypothetical public social security policy changes, made in response to impending future demographic shifts. The two policy changes considered are first, raising the tax rate while keeping the replacement rate constant and second, keeping the tax rate constant while lowering the replacement rate. Whereas this latter policy is detrimental to the relative situation of the retirees, the huge financial heterogeneity in the first scenario explains why the increase in the proportional labor tax is relatively badly absorbed by low-productivity workers, leading to an increase in welfare inequality. We show that the very popular idea that a more funded system would ineluctably lead to more inequalities in well-being can be justified only by focusing on the inequality of positions in case of general equilibrium.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Olivier Hairault & François Langot, 2008. "Inequality and Social Security Reforms," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00270290, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:halshs-00270290
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jedc.2007.01.033
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00270290
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    Cited by:

    1. de la Croix, David & Pierrard, Olivier & Sneessens, Henri R., 2013. "Aging and pensions in general equilibrium: Labor market imperfections matter," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 104-124.
    2. Christophe Hachon, 2008. "Redistribution, Pension Systems and Capital Accumulation," Financial Theory and Practice, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 32(3), pages 339-368.
    3. Joanna Tyrowicz & Krzysztof Makarski & Marcin Bielecki, 2018. "Inequality in an OLG economy with heterogeneous cohorts and pension systems," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 16(4), pages 583-606, December.
    4. Christophe Hachon, 2009. "Who Really Benefits from Pension Systems ? When Life Expectancy Matters," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 119(4), pages 613-632.
    5. Falilou Fall, 2007. "Pension Reforms, Assets Returns and Wealth Distribution," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 85, pages 81-96.
    6. de la Croix, David & Pierrard, Olivier & Sneessens, Henri R., 2013. "Aging and pensions in general equilibrium: Labor market imperfections matter," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 104-124.
    7. Audrey Desbonnet & Jean-Olivier Hairault, 2010. "Inégalité de patrimoine et progressivité de l'impôt," Economie & Prévision, La Documentation Française, vol. 0(2), pages 21-41.
    8. Simonovits, András, 2009. "Népességöregedés, tb-nyugdíj és megtakarítás - parametrikus nyugdíjreformok [Population aging, the public pension system, and savings: parametric pension reforms]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(4), pages 297-321.
    9. Joanna Tyrowicz & Krzysztof Makarski & Marcin Bielecki, 2018. "Inequality in an OLG economy with heterogeneous cohorts and pension systems," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 16(4), pages 583-606, December.
    10. Christophe Hachon, 2008. "Redistribution, Pension Systems and Capital Accumulation," Working Papers halshs-00279167, HAL.
    11. Vincent Touzé, 2005. "Fiscal incidence of unfunded pension system: an analytical investigation," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2005-03, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    12. Joanna Tyrowicz & Krzysztof Makarski & Marcin Bielecki, 2016. "Reforming retirement age in DB and DC pension systems in an aging OLG economy with heterogenous agents," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-36, December.
    13. Batyra, Anna & de la Croix, David & Pierrard, Olivier & Sneessens, Henri R., 2013. "Declining bargaining power of workers and the rise of early retirement in Europe," GIAM Working Papers 13-6, Galatasaray University Economic Research Center.
    14. Christophe Hachon, 2008. "Who Really Benefits from Pension Systems?," Working Papers halshs-00279651, HAL.
    15. repec:ijm:journl:v109:y:2017:i:1:p:135-166 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Justin W. van de Ven, 2017. "Parameterising a detailed dynamic programming model of savings and labour supply using cross-sectional data," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 10(1), pages 135-166.

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