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Household Economic Shocks Increase Retirement Wealth Inequality (PDF)

10 pages. "Economic shocks explain at least 32 percent of withdrawals by workers in low-income households, and possibly more. The use of the retirement savings system as insurance against economic shocks fails to preserve retirement savings for their intended purpose and increases retirement income inequality."

Parental Leave Policies in 21 Countries: Assessing Generosity and Gender Equality (PDF)

23 pages. Excerpt: This report reviews the national policies of 21 high-income economies, as of June 2008. We focus on two key aspects of parental leave policies: the level of support provided to parents; and the degree to which leave policies promote an egalitarian distribution between mothers and fathers of the time devoted to child care.

Health Insurance Coverage for Low-Wage Workers, 1979-2010 and Beyond (PDF)

In 2010, over 38 percent of low-wage workers lacked health insurance from any source, up from 16 percent in 1979. The biggest reason for the decline in coverage is the erosion of employer-provided health insurance, either through a worker's own employer or as a dependent on another family member's employer-provided policy.

Workers Need Paid Sick Leave, According to Study

Excerpt: The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) released the report 'Paid Sick Days are a Workplace Necessity.' This document is produced with help from the Institute for Women's Policy Research.

Senate Hearing: Boomer Bust? Securing Retirement in a Volatile Economy, February 25, 2009

The target page has links to Witness Testimony: Jeanine Cook, Baby Boomer, Myrtle Beach, SC; Dallas L. Salisbury, Employee Benefit Research Institute; Dean Baker, Co-Center for Economic and Policy Research; Ignacio Salazar, SER - Jobs for Progress; Barbara B. Kennelly, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare; Deena Katz, CFP, Associate Professor, Texas Tech University, and Chairman, Evensky & Katz.

a Brighter Outlook for Social Security

Excerpt: A hard look at the numbers suggests that Social Security isn't broken, only in need of minor adjustments. The Social Security system is in better financial shape than it's been for most of its 67-year history, says Mark Weisbrot, an economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), a Washington think tank.

Retirement Security and the Financial and Economic Crisis: An Overview

At a recent Impact Conference sponsored by the Wharton School's Pension Research Council (PRC) and the Boettner Center for Pensions and Retirement Research at the University of Pennsylvania, academics, practitioners, and policy analysts joined to explore how retirement planning and long-term financial security have changed, following the crisis. This paper summarizes key lessons and conclusions. [WP2011-05]

The Origins and Severity of the Public Pension Crisis, February 2011 (PDF)

The shortfalls facing most state and local pension funds have been seriously misrepresented in public debates. The major cause of these shortfalls has not been inadequate contributions by state governments, but rather the plunge in the stock market following the collapse of the housing bubble. Given the low PE ratios in the stock market, pension fund assumptions on the future rate of return on their assets are consistent with most projections of economic growth and past experience. Furthermore, when expressed relative to the size of their economies, most states are facing shortfalls that appear easily manageable.

Job Lock and Employer-Provided Health Insurance: Evidence from the Literature

"The report reviews the research on three types of job lock: [1] Workers remaining in jobs in which they are not satisfied because of the fear of not being able to get health insurance at a new job (or not being able to buy or afford it in the individual market); [2] Workers being reluctant to start a business because they do not want to lose employer-provided health insurance; and [3] Workers staying employed (or employed full time) in order to obtain employer-sponsored insurance, when they would otherwise prefer to retire or work part time. All three types of job lock are likely to be reduced by the Affordable Care Act[.]"

The Impact of Social Security Cuts on Retiree Income (PDF)

22 pages. Excerpt: This paper assesses the cuts implied by three common proposals for reducing Social Security benefits: 1) Adopting a 'progressive price' indexation (PPI) formula for the basic benefit structure, 2) Accelerating and extending the increase in the normal retirement age, and 3) Reducing the annual cost-of-living adjustment.It calculates the implied cut in benefits and projected income for various age groups and income quintiles of retirees and near-retirees.