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Pension incentives and the joint retirement of couples: evidence from two natural experiments

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Listed:
  • Kadir Atalay

    (University of Sydney
    The University of Sydney)

  • Garry F. Barrett

    (University of Sydney)

  • Peter Siminski

    (University of Technology Sydney)

Abstract

Recent reforms to social security in many countries have sought to delay retirement. Given the family context in which retirement decisions are made, social security reforms have potentially important spillover effects on the labour force participation of spouses. This paper analyses two complementary Australian natural experiments: (i) the 1993 Age Pension reform that increased the eligibility age for social security benefits for women and (ii) the Vietnam veterans pension and compensation schemes, whereby eligibility was conditional on conscription lotteries. We find important within-family spillover effects that are symmetric by gender and independent of whether pension coverage is expanded or withdrawn. Taking account of such within-family spillover effects is important for understanding the behavioural effects of pension programs and for reform impacts on social welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Kadir Atalay & Garry F. Barrett & Peter Siminski, 2019. "Pension incentives and the joint retirement of couples: evidence from two natural experiments," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 32(3), pages 735-767, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:32:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s00148-018-0725-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-018-0725-9
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    Cited by:

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    2. Riphahn, Regina T. & Schrader, Rebecca, 2023. "Reforms of an early retirement pathway in Germany and their labor market effects," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(3), pages 304-330, July.
    3. Geyer, Johannes & Haan, Peter & Hammerschmid, Anna & Peters, Michael, 2020. "Labor Market and Distributional Effects of an Increase in the Retirement Age," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    4. Giesecke, Matthias & Jäger, Philipp, 2021. "Pension incentives and labor supply: Evidence from the introduction of universal old-age assistance in the UK," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    5. Etgeton, Stefan & Fischer, Björn & Ye, Han, 2023. "The effect of increasing retirement age on households’ savings and consumption expenditure," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    6. Merkurieva, Irina, 2023. "Retirement coordination and leisure complementarity," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    7. Anand, Priyanka & Dague, Laura & Wagner, Kathryn L., 2022. "The role of paid family leave in labor supply responses to a spouse's disability or health shock," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    8. Moghadam, Hamed Markazi & Puhani, Patrick A. & Tyrowicz, Joanna, 2024. "Pension reforms and couples’ labour supply decisions," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    9. Aviad Tur-Sinai & Avia Spivak, 2022. "How Generous are Societies Toward Their Elderly? A European Comparative Study of Replacement Rates, Well-Being and Economic Adequacy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 71-105, July.
    10. García-Miralles, Esteban & Leganza, Jonathan M., 2024. "Joint retirement of couples: Evidence from discontinuities in Denmark," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    11. Nguyen, Ha Trong & Mitrou, Francis & Zubrick, Stephen R., 2024. "Retirement, housing mobility, downsizing and neighbourhood quality - A causal investigation," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    12. Ioannis Laliotis & Mujaheed Shaikh & Charitini Stavropoulou & Dimitrios Kourouklis, 2023. "Retirement and Household Expenditure in Turbulent Times," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 968-989, December.
    13. Oshio, Takashi & Shimizutani, Satoshi & Oishi, Akiko S., 2020. "Examining how elderly employment is associated with institutional disincentives in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    14. Zhu, Rong, 2021. "Retirement and voluntary work provision: Evidence from the Australian Age Pension reform," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 674-690.
    15. Matthias Schön, 2023. "Demographic change and the rate of return in pay-as-you-go pension systems," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(3), pages 1799-1827, July.
    16. Kadir Atalay & Garry Barrett, 2022. "Retirement routes and the well-being of retirees," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(5), pages 2751-2784, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social security; Joint retirement; Spousal effect;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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