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Labor supply and government programs: A cross-country analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Andrés Erosa

    (IMDEA Social Sciences Institute)

  • Luisa Fuster

    (IMDEA Social Sciences Institute)

  • Gueorgui Kambourov

    (University of Toronto)

Abstract

There are substantial cross-country differences in labor supply late in the life cycle (age 50+). A theory of labor supply and retirement decisions is developed to quantitatively assess the role of social security, disability insurance, and taxation for understanding differences in labor supply late in the life cycle across European countries and the United States. The findings support the view that government policies can go a long way towards accounting for the low labor supply late in the life cycle in the European countries relatively to the United States, with social security rules accounting for the bulk of these effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrés Erosa & Luisa Fuster & Gueorgui Kambourov, 2011. "Labor supply and government programs: A cross-country analysis," Working Papers 2011-08, Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados (IMDEA) Ciencias Sociales, revised 19 Oct 2011.
  • Handle: RePEc:imd:wpaper:wp2011-08
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social security; disability insurance; labor supply; heterogeneity; life cycle;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • E2 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment
    • E6 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook
    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H3 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents
    • H5 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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