Introduction

The aging and retirement of the baby-boomers have made retirement income security a key issue of public policy. Two factors have pushed responsibility for retirement security onto the individual: first, the gradual shift of private employer-provided pensions from traditional defined-benefit plans to defined-contribution; second, the funding limitations and uncertainties facing the Social Security program. Increased longevity has lengthened the probable duration and income needs of retirees. Older workers whose savings and pension incomes are inadequate will need to continue to work, changing the composition of the workforce.

Issues

• How should Social Security be reformed, or should an alternative public pension program replace it?
• What is appropriate public policy toward private retirement saving?
• How should pensions be structured given the changing demographics of the labor force?
• How can employers accommodate older workers whose retirement income is inadequate?
• How will the retirement expectations of younger generations differ from those of the baby boom?

Institute Research

Retiree Health Benefits as Deferred Compensation: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study
James Marton, Georgia State University
Stephen Woodbury, Upjohn Institute
Upjohn Institute Working Paper No. 12-182, June 2009

The Influence of Retiree Health Benefits on Retirement Patterns
James Marton, Georgia State University
Stephen Woodbury, Upjohn Institute
Upjohn Institute Working Paper No. 10-163, March 2010

Pension Policy: The Search for Better Solutions
John A. Turner, Pension Policy Center
Upjohn Institute Press, 2010

Ensuring Health and Income Security for an Aging Workforce
Peter P. Budetti, Institute for Health Services Research and Policy Studies, Northwestern University, editor
Richard V. Burkhauser, Cornell University, editor
Janice M. Gregory, ERISA Industry Committee, editor
H. Allan Hunt, Upjohn Institute, editor
Upjohn Institute Press, 2001

More Institute Research about Retirement & Pensions