Working Longer in the U.S.: Trends and Explanations

Courtney Coile

No 24576, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Over the past two decades, labor force participation rates for older men have been rising, reversing a century-long trend towards earlier retirement. Participation rates for older women are rising as well. A number of theories have been put forward to explain the rise in participation at older ages, including improving mortality and health, increasing education and a shift towards less physically demanding work, and changes in employer-provided benefits and Social Security. This paper documents trends in labor force participation and employment at older ages and in the factors that may be contributing to rising participation. A review of these trends and of the relevant literature suggests that increases in education, women’s growing role in the economy, the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution pension plans, and Social Security reforms all likely played some role in the trend towards longer work lives.

JEL-codes: J14 J26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age and nep-lab
Note: AG
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

Published as Working Longer in the United States: Trends and Explanations , Courtney C. Coile. in Social Security Programs and Retirement around the World: Working Longer , Coile, Milligan, and Wise. 2019

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