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How do Immigrants Fare in Retirement?

Author

Listed:
  • Purvi Sevak

    (Hunter College)

  • Lucie Schmidt

    (Williams College)

Abstract

Existing literature suggests that immigrants receive lower wages than U.S.-born workers with similar characteristics. This could imply that immigrant households would enter retirement at a significant financial disadvantage. In this paper, we examine the retirement resources available to immigrant families by examining Social Security benefits, pension coverage, and private wealth accumulation. Our results suggest that although immigrant families may be financially better-off in the U.S. than in their native countries, they do enter retirement at a significant financial disadvantage relative to native born households with similar characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Purvi Sevak & Lucie Schmidt, 2007. "How do Immigrants Fare in Retirement?," Working Papers wp169, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
  • Handle: RePEc:mrr:papers:wp169
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:pri:cheawb:paper_oneil%20and%20tienda_ageimmigrationapril18 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Pervi Sevak & Lucie Schmidt, 2008. "Immigrant-Native Fertility and Mortality Differentials in the United States," Working Papers wp181, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    3. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Susan Pozo, 2015. "The impact of the recession on the wealth of older immigrant and native households in the United States," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-27, December.
    4. Kevin O’Neil & Marta Tienda, 2015. "Age at Immigration and the Incomes of Older Immigrants, 1994–2010," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(2), pages 291-302.

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