Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Married women's retirement behavior

  • Published:
Journal of Population Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper we examine the economic and family determinants of married women's retirement behavior. A life cycle model of wives' retirement decisions is tested empirically using data on working married women from the Longitudinal Retirement History Survey. This exploratory analysis indicates that family considerations are more important in wives' retirement decisions than own economic opportunities. These findings contrast with those obtained previously for male workers and if substantiated by other research could have important implications for policy questions regarding pension and Social Security reform.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bazzoli GJ (1985) The early retirement decision: new empirical evidence on the influence of health. J Hum Resources 20:214–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen WG, Finegan TA (1969) The economics of labor force participation. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Burbidge JB, Robb AL (1980) Pensions and retirement behavior. Can J Econ 13:421–437

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark RL, Johnson T (1980) Retirement in the dual career family. Final report for Social Security Administration grant No. 10-P-90543-4-02

  • Clark RL, Johnson T, McDermed AA (1980) Allocation of time and resources by married couples approaching retirement. Soc Secur Bull 43:3–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Fields GS, Mitchell OS (1984a) The effects of social security reforms on retirement ages and retirement incomes. J Publ Econ 25:143–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Fields GS, Mitchell OS (1984b) Retirement, pensions, and social security. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Gustman A, Steinmeier T (1986) A structural retirement model. Econometrica 54:555–584

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanoch G, Honig M (1983) Retirement, wages, and labor supply of the elderly. J Labor Econ 1:131–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Henretta JC, O'Rand AM (1983) Joint retirement in the dual worker family. Social Forces 62:504–520

    Google Scholar 

  • Henretta JC, O'Rand AM (1980) Labor force participation of older married women. Soc Secur Bull 43:10–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Honig M (1985) Partial retirement among women. J Hum Resources 20:613–621

    Google Scholar 

  • Honig M, Hanoch G (1985) Partial retirement as a separate mode of retirement behavior. J Hum Resources 20:21–46

    Google Scholar 

  • lams HM (1986) Employment of retired-worker women. Soc Secur Bull 49:5–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Killingsworth MR (1983) Labor supply. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotlikoff L, Smith DE (1983) Pensions and the American economy. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazear EP, Rosen S (1987) Pension inequality. In: Bodie Z, Shoven JB, Wise DA (eds) Issues in pension economics. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald G, Carliner G (1982) How does the structure of pension benefits influence the optimal retirement age? Unpublished working paper, University of Western Ontario

    Google Scholar 

  • McFadden D (1981) Econometric models of probabilistic choice. In: Manski D, McFadden D (eds) Structural analysis of discrete data with econometric applications. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell OS, Fields GS (1982) The effects of pensions and earnings on retirement: a review essay. In: Ehrenberg R (ed) Research in labor economics, vol. 5. JAI Press, Greenwich, CT

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwab K, Irelan LM (1981) The social security administration's retirement history study. In: McCluskey NG, Bergatta EF (eds) Aging and retirement: prospects, planning and policy. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills

    Google Scholar 

  • U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1975) National Center for Health Statistics. U.S. Decennial Life Tables for 1969–1971: U.S. Life Tables 1969–71, Washington, DC

  • Zabalza A, Piachaud D (1981) Social security and the elderly: a simulation of policy changes. J Publ Econ 16:145–170

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Labor Economics, NYSSILR, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Silvana Pozzebon & Olivia S. Mitchell

  2. Department of Labor Economics, New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, USA

    Olivia S. Mitchell

Authors
  1. Silvana Pozzebon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Olivia S. Mitchell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This research was funded by the 1986–7 Small Grants Program sponsored by the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Institute for Research on Poverty, the Cornell Institute of Social and Economic Research, and the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Excellent programming assistance was provided by Vivian Fields. We are grateful to Glen Cain and two anonymous referees for useful comments. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not those of the above-named persons or institutions.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pozzebon, S., Mitchell, O.S. Married women's retirement behavior. J Popul Econ 2, 39–53 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00599179

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00599179

Keywords

Search

Navigation