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Research ArticleArticles

Can Social Security Explain Trends in Labor Force Participation of Older Men in the United States?

David M. Blau and Ryan M. Goodstein
Journal of Human Resources, March 2010, 45 (2) 328-363; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.45.2.328
David M. Blau
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Ryan M. Goodstein
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Abstract

After a long decline, the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of older men in the United States leveled off in the 1980s, and began to increase in the late 1990s. We examine how changes in Social Security rules affected these trends. We attribute only a small portion of the decline from the 1960s–80s to the increasing generosity of Social Security over this period. Increases in the Full Retirement Age and the Delayed Retirement Credit explain one quarter to one half of the recent increase in the LFPR. Increasing educational attainment and increasing LFPR of married women also contributed to the recent rise.

  • Received March 2008.
  • Accepted January 2009.
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Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 45, Issue 2
1 Mar 2010
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Can Social Security Explain Trends in Labor Force Participation of Older Men in the United States?
David M. Blau, Ryan M. Goodstein
Journal of Human Resources Mar 2010, 45 (2) 328-363; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.45.2.328

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Can Social Security Explain Trends in Labor Force Participation of Older Men in the United States?
David M. Blau, Ryan M. Goodstein
Journal of Human Resources Mar 2010, 45 (2) 328-363; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.45.2.328
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  • Article
    • Abstract
    • I. Introduction
    • II. Background
    • III. Empirical Model
    • IV. Data
    • V. Results
    • VI. Conclusions
    • Appendix 1 Social Security Benefits
    • Appendix 2 Pensions and Employer-Provided Retiree Health Insurance (EPRHI)
    • Appendix 3 Wages
    • Appendix 4 Health
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
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