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Labor Supply and the Pension Contribution-Benefit Link

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  • French, E.
  • Lindner, A.
  • O'Dea, C.
  • Zawisza T.

Abstract

We estimate the impact of public pension systems on labor supply far from the normal retirement age by exploiting Poland's switch from a Defined Benefit to a Notional Defined Contribution scheme for men born after 1948. Using the universe of taxpayers and this sharp cohort-based discontinuity in the link between current contributions and future benefits, we estimate an employment elasticity with respect to the return to work of 0.44 for ages 51-54. We estimate a lifecycle model that matches these results. The model implies that the change in the contribution-benefit link from the reform increases employment among those in their 30s but decreases it at older ages, reducing overall labor supply across the lifecycle by 2 months.

Suggested Citation

  • French, E. & Lindner, A. & O'Dea, C. & Zawisza T., 2022. "Labor Supply and the Pension Contribution-Benefit Link," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2248, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:2248
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bozio, Antoine & Breda, Thomas & Guillot, Malka, 2023. "Using payroll taxes as a redistribution tool," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    3. Alzate,David & Eliana Carranza & Duran-Franch,Joana & Truman G. Packard & Celina Proffen, 2024. "How Regulations Impact the Labor Market : A Review of the Literatures on Product and Labor Market Regulations," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10961, The World Bank.
    4. Baurin, Arno & Hindriks, Jean, 2023. "Intergenerational consequences of gradual pension reforms," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    5. Alzate,David & Eliana Carranza & Duran-Franch,Joana & Truman G. Packard & Celina Proffen, 2024. "How Regulations Impact the Labor Market : A Review of the Literatures on Product and Labor Market Regulations," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10961, The World Bank.
    6. Cetin, Sefane & Hindriks, Jean, 2023. "Sustainability of pension reforms: An EU-wide political stress," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2023016, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    7. Alexander Ahammer & Matthias Fahn & Flora Stiftinger, 2023. "Outside Options and Worker Motivation," CESifo Working Paper Series 10581, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor supply; pensions; contribution-benefit link; defined benefit; defined contribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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