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Financing entitlements and promoting work: Does policy encourage early retirement?

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  • Sita Nataraj Slavov

    (American Enterprise Institute)

  • Aspen Gorry

Abstract

Entitlement spending is projected to put a great deal of strain on the federal budget in coming years. A key factor underlying the growth of entitlement spending is the deteriorating ratio of workers to retirees. This problem is exacerbated by various policies that create disincentives for work at older ages. One way to reduce the fiscal burden of entitlement programs is to encourage longer working lives by minimizing these disincentives. This paper documents the recent trends in employment among older workers, summarizes the evidence on how policies influence retirement decisions, and describes several reforms that have the potential to increase employment among older workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Sita Nataraj Slavov & Aspen Gorry, 2012. "Financing entitlements and promoting work: Does policy encourage early retirement?," AEI Economic Perspectives, American Enterprise Institute, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:aei:journl:y:2012:id:15919
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Retirement; Entitlements; AEI Economic Perspectives; Policy Papers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H - Public Economics

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