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Agricultural Decline and the Secular Rise in Male Retirement Rates

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  • Dora L. Costa

Abstract

Explanations for the decline in labor force participation rates of older men prior to 1950 have focused on the sectoral shift from agriculture to manufacturing. Labor force participation rates of men living in farm households have been consistently higher than those of men living in non-farm households. The decline in the size of the agricultural sector has coincided with the rise in male retirement rates. Using a new, longitudinal data set I argue that, at the beginning of the twentieth century, men who were farmers were no less likely to retire than men who were not farmers. Past researchers, who examined cross-sectional data, were misled because retired farmers often migrated from their farms. The findings have implications for the secular decline of fertility.

Suggested Citation

  • Dora L. Costa, 1994. "Agricultural Decline and the Secular Rise in Male Retirement Rates," NBER Historical Working Papers 0055, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberhi:0055
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    Cited by:

    1. Messina, Julian, 2003. "Sectoral Structure and Entry Regulations," Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2003 154, Royal Economic Society.
    2. Gardner, John & Gratton, Brian & Moen, Jon, 2018. "Re-estimating the Gainful Employment Rate of Older Men: the United States, 1870 to 1930," MPRA Paper 88729, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Susan B. Carter & Richard Sutch, 1995. "Myth of the Industrial Scrap Heap: A Revisionist View of Turn-of-the- Century American Retirement," NBER Historical Working Papers 0073, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Lee, Chulhee, 1999. "Farm Value and Retirement of Farm Owners in Early-Twentieth-Century America," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 387-408, October.
    5. Lee, Chulhee, 2002. "Sectoral Shift And The Labor-Force Participation Of Older Males In The United States, 1880 1940," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 62(02), pages 512-523, June.
    6. Susan B. Carter & Richard Sutch, 1995. "Fixing the Facts: Editing of the 1880 U.S. Census of Occupations with Implications for Long-Term Trends and the Sociology of Official Statistics," NBER Historical Working Papers 0074, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Brian Gratton & Myron P. Gutmann, 2010. "Emptying the Nest: Older Men in the United States, 1880–2000," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 36(2), pages 331-356, June.
    8. Messina, Julian, 2006. "The role of product market regulations in the process of structural change," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(7), pages 1863-1890, October.
    9. Tayatat Kanjanapipatkul, 2003. "Pensions and Labor Force Participation of Civil War Veterans," NBER Chapters, in: Health and Labor Force Participation over the Life Cycle: Evidence from the Past, pages 231-252, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Chulhee Lee, 2003. "Labor Market Status of Older Males in the United States, 1880-1940," NBER Working Papers 9550, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N31 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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