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Choosing the Legal Retirement Age in Presence of Unemployment

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  • Casamatta, Georges
  • De Paoli, Caroline

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to better understand the impact of unemployment on the design of Pay-As-You-Go pension systems, in the context of population aging. We consider a model in which people differ according to age and face in every period a given probability of becoming unemployed. We first determine the optimal pension system, which consists in a payroll tax rate, a pension benefit level and a retirement age and study its comparative statics with respect to a change of the unemployment rate and the length of life. We then characterize the issue-by-issue voting equilibrium and compare it to the optimal pension scheme. It is shown that the median voter in general chooses a retirement age lower than the optimal one as well as a higher payroll tax rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Casamatta, Georges & De Paoli, Caroline, 2007. "Choosing the Legal Retirement Age in Presence of Unemployment," CEPR Discussion Papers 6263, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6263
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Georges Casamatta & Helmuth Cremer & Pierre Pestieau, 2005. "Voting on Pensions with Endogenous Retirement Age," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 12(1), pages 7-28, January.
    2. Cremer, Helmuth & Pestieau, Pierre, 2003. "The Double Dividend of Postponing Retirement," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(4), pages 419-434, August.
    3. Gruber, Jonathan & Wise, David, 1998. "Social Security and Retirement: An International Comparison," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(2), pages 158-163, May.
    4. Juan Lacomba & Francisco Lagos, 2007. "Political election on legal retirement age," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 29(1), pages 1-17, July.
    5. Roland Demmel & Christian Keuschnigg, 2000. "Funded Pensions and Unemployment," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 57(1), pages 22-38, September.
    6. Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg, 2004. "Aging, Labor Markets, and Pension Reform in Austria," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 60(3), pages 359-392, September.
    7. Cremer, Helmuth & Lozachmeur, Jean-Marie & Pestieau, Pierre, 2004. "Social security, retirement age and optimal income taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(11), pages 2259-2281, September.
    8. Vincent P. Crawford & David M. Lilien, 1981. "Social Security and the Retirement Decision," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 96(3), pages 505-529.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Retirement age; Unemployment;

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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