IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ven/wpaper/202306.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Longer careers: A barrier to hiring and coworker advancement?

Author

Listed:
  • Irene Ferrari

    (Department of Economics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice; Netspar)

  • Jan Kabátek

    (University of Melbourne, Life Course Centre, IZA; Netspar)

  • Todd Morris

    (HEC Montreal, Life Course Centre, CEPAR; Netspar)

Abstract

Government policies are encouraging older workers to delay retirement, which may curb younger workers' career advancement. We study a Dutch reform that raised the retirement age by 13 months and nearly tripled employment at age 66. Using monthly linked employer-employee data, we show that affected firms delay and decrease replacement hiring, and coworkers' earnings fall via reductions in hours worked, wages, and promotions. Combined, the hiring and coworker spillovers offset most of the additional hours worked by older workers, disproportionately affect career advancement for younger workers and women, and considerably increase the policy's ratio of welfare costs to fiscal savings.

Suggested Citation

  • Irene Ferrari & Jan Kabátek & Todd Morris, 2023. "Longer careers: A barrier to hiring and coworker advancement?," Working Papers 2023:06, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    • Handle: RePEc:ven:wpaper:2023:06
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.unive.it/pag/fileadmin/user_upload/dipartimenti/economia/doc/Pubblicazioni_scientifiche/working_papers/2023/WP_DSE_ferrari_kabatek_morris_06_23.pdf
    File Function: First version, anno
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexander Gelber & Damon Jones & Daniel W. Sacks & Jae Song, 2022. "The Employment Effects of the Social Security Earnings Test," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(2), pages 341-371.
    2. Jonathan Gruber & Kevin Milligan & David A. Wise, 2009. "Social Security Programs and Retirement Around the World: The Relationship to Youth Employment, Introduction and Summary," NBER Working Papers 14647, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Luc Behaghel & David M. Blau, 2012. "Framing Social Security Reform: Behavioral Responses to Changes in the Full Retirement Age," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 41-67, November.
    4. Klaas de Vos & Arie Kapteyn & Adriaan Kalwij, 2018. "Social Security Programs and Employment at Older Ages in the Netherlands," NBER Chapters, in: Social Security Programs and Retirement around the World: Reforms and Retirement Incentives, pages 297-316, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. David Card & Ana Rute Cardoso & Patrick Kline, 2016. "Bargaining, Sorting, and the Gender Wage Gap: Quantifying the Impact of Firms on the Relative Pay of Women," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(2), pages 633-686.
    6. Schmutte, Ian M. & Skira, Meghan M., 2020. "The Response of Firms to Maternity Leave and Sickness Absence," GLO Discussion Paper Series 691, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Johannes Geyer & Clara Welteke, 2021. "Closing Routes to Retirement for Women: How Do They Respond?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(1), pages 311-341.
    8. Alicia Munnell & April Wu, 2013. "Do Older Workers Squeeze Out Younger Workers?," Discussion Papers 13-011, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
    9. Kirk Doran & Alexander Gelber & Adam Isen, 2022. "The Effects of High-Skilled Immigration Policy on Firms: Evidence from Visa Lotteries," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(10), pages 2501-2533.
    10. repec:hal:pseose:hal-00772844 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Mastrobuoni, Giovanni, 2009. "Labor supply effects of the recent social security benefit cuts: Empirical estimates using cohort discontinuities," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(11-12), pages 1224-1233, December.
    12. Kabátek, Jan & Liang, Ying & Zheng, Kun, 2023. "Are shorter cumulative temporary contracts worse stepping stones? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    13. Bernhard Boockmann & Thomas Zwick & Andreas Ammermüller & Michael Maier, 2012. "Do Hiring Subsidies Reduce Unemployment Among Older Workers? Evidence From Natural Experiments," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 10(4), pages 735-764, August.
    14. Albanese, Andrea & Cockx, Bart, 2019. "Permanent wage cost subsidies for older workers. An effective tool for employment retention and postponing early retirement?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 145-166.
    15. Arthur Seibold, 2021. "Reference Points for Retirement Behavior: Evidence from German Pension Discontinuities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(4), pages 1126-1165, April.
    16. Staubli, Stefan & Zweimüller, Josef, 2013. "Does raising the early retirement age increase employment of older workers?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 17-32.
    17. Staubli, Stefan, 2011. "The impact of stricter criteria for disability insurance on labor force participation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(9-10), pages 1223-1235, October.
    18. Laun, Lisa, 2017. "The effect of age-targeted tax credits on labor force participation of older workers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 102-118.
    19. Kadir Atalay & Garry F. Barrett, 2015. "The Impact of Age Pension Eligibility Age on Retirement and Program Dependence: Evidence from an Australian Experiment," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(1), pages 71-87, March.
    20. Alexander M. Gelber & Damon Jones & Daniel W. Sacks & Jae Song, 2021. "Using Nonlinear Budget Sets to Estimate Extensive Margin Responses: Method and Evidence from the Earnings Test," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 150-193, October.
    21. Marco Bertoni & Giorgio Brunello, 2021. "Does a higher retirement age reduce youth employment?," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 36(106), pages 325-372.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Johan Saeverud, 2024. "The Impact Of Social Security Eligibility And Pension Wealth On Retirement," CEBI working paper series 24-05, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI).
    2. Dolls, Mathias & Krolage, Carla, 2023. "‘Earned, not given’? The effect of lowering the full retirement age on retirement decisions," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    3. Octave Brouwer & Ilan Tojerow, 2024. "Old-age unemployment and labour supply: an application to Belgium," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 67(1), pages 253-287, July.
    4. Atav, Tilbe & Jongen, Egbert L. W. & Rabat, Simon, 2021. "Increasing the Effective Retirement Age: Key Factors and Interaction Effects," IZA Discussion Papers 14150, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Todd Morris, 2022. "The unequal burden of retirement reform: Evidence from Australia," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(2), pages 592-619, April.
    6. Egbert Jongen & Simon Rabaté & Tilbe Atav, 2019. "The effects of the increase in the retirement age in the Netherlands," CPB Discussion Paper 408.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    7. Fürstenau, Elisabeth & Gohl, Niklas & Haan, Peter & Weinhardt, Felix, 2023. "Working life and human capital investment: Causal evidence from a pension reform," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    8. Cristiano Antonelli, 2017. "The Engines of the Creative Response: Reactivity and Knowledge Governance," Economía: teoría y práctica, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, México, vol. 47(2), pages 9-30, Julio-Dic.
    9. Chiara Ardito, 2017. "Rising pension age in Italy: Employment response and Program substitution," LABORatorio R. Revelli Working Papers Series 155, LABORatorio R. Revelli, Centre for Employment Studies.
    10. Ardito Chiara, 2021. "The unequal impact of raising the retirement age: Employment response and program substitution," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-37, January.
    11. García-Miralles, Esteban & Leganza, Jonathan M., 2024. "Joint retirement of couples: Evidence from discontinuities in Denmark," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    12. 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).
    13. Egbert Jongen & Simon Rabaté & Tilbe Atav, 2019. "The effects of the increase in the retirement age in the Netherlands," CPB Discussion Paper 408, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    14. Gruber, Jonathan & Kanninen, Ohto & Ravaska, Terhi, 2022. "Relabeling, retirement and regret," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    15. Barbara Engels & Johannes Geyer & Peter Haan, 2016. "Pension Incentives and Early Retirement," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1617, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    16. Niklas Gohl, 2023. "Working Longer, Working Stronger? The Forward-Looking Effects of Increasing the Retirement Age on (Un)employment Behaviour," Berlin School of Economics Discussion Papers 0013, Berlin School of Economics.
    17. Lorenz, Svenja & Zwick, Thomas & Bruns, Mona, 2022. "Beware of the employer: Financial incentives for employees may fail to prolong old-age employment," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    18. Todd Morris & Benoit Dostie, 2023. "Graying and staying on the job: The welfare implications of employment protection for older workers," Cahiers de recherche / Working Papers 15, Institut sur la retraite et l'épargne / Retirement and Savings Institute.
    19. Johannes Geyer & Clara Welteke, 2017. "Closing Routes to Retirement: How Do People Respond?," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1653, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    20. Sauré, Philip & Seibold, Arthur & Smorodenkova, Elizaveta & Zoabi, Hosny, 2023. "Occupations Shape Retirement Across Countries," CEPR Discussion Papers 18161, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    retirement reform; labor demand; internal labor markets; firms; coworker spillovers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ven:wpaper:2023:06. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Geraldine Ludbrook (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dsvenit.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.