Determinants of Preferred Retirement Age in an Aging Society

Dominika Werczyńska, Julia Włodarczyk, Sylwia Wajnbrener

Abstract


Theoretical background: The process of aging has profound economic consequences for many countries, as it increases the number of beneficiaries of the pension system and extends the period of receiving pension benefits. We claim that understanding individual preferences concerning the retirement age is one of the key factors of successful reforms of pension systems and a prerequisite to convince a greater number of individuals to retire later.

Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to determine factors influencing the decision on the moment of retirement. The analysis takes into account socio-economic characteristics of individuals (including gender, age, education, health and income), as well as individual expectations and relative deprivation. The second goal is to compare preferences of men and women concerning the retirement age.

Research methods: The empirical part of the article exploits a dataset based on primary research conducted in Poland which is one of the fastest aging countries in Europe (data for N = 448 respondents were collected with the help of an online questionnaire from April to May 2021). Both purposes are achieved with the help of econometric methods (OLS, quantile, and logit regressions).

Main findings: We show that individuals have heterogeneous preferences concerning the retirement age, but on average they are willing to retire later than others (and often later than the official retirement age). We argue that one of the driving forces behind this phenomenon is associated with aversion towards relative deprivation. We demonstrate that individual preferences concerning the retirement age are not directly dependent on the current situation of respondents (depicted, e.g. by their education, health, place of living or income), but are determined by their expectations concerning their material situation when retired and by preferences regarding others. We also discuss some differences between men and women with regard to the preferred retirement age (e.g. women are more frequently ready to retire later than the official retirement age compared to men, but in general propose lower retirement age than men for both genders).


Keywords


retirement age, aging of the population, retirement preferences, relative deprivation, gender differences

Full Text:

PDF

References


Åberg Yngwe, M., Kondo, N., Hägg, S., & Kawachi, I. (2012). Relative deprivation and mortality – a longitudinal study in a Swedish population of 4,7 million, 1990–2006. BMC Public Health, 12, Article No. 664. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-664

Acedański, J., & Włodarczyk, J. (2018). Demographics, retirement age, and real interest rates in Poland. Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, 10(4), 355–185. doi:10.24425/cejeme.2018.125876

Bednarczyk, T. (2015). Wyzwania demograficzne dla systemów emerytalnych w Unii Europejskiej. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Sectio H – Oeconomia, 49(2), 33–50. doi:10.17951/h.2015.59.2.33

Behaghel, L., & Blau, D. (2012). Framing social security reform: Behavioral responses to changes in the full retirement age. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 4(4). doi:10.1257/pol.4.4.41

Chybalski, F. (2018). Wiek emerytalny z perspektywy ekonomicznej: studium teoretyczno-empiryczne. Warszawa: C.H. Beck.

Daly, M.C., Wilson, D.J., & Johnson, N.J. (2013). Relative status and well-being: Evidence from U.S. suicide deaths. Review of Economics and Statistics, 95(5), 1480–1500. doi:10.1162/REST_a_00355

Deaton, A. (2001). Relative deprivation, inequality, and mortality. NBER, Working Paper No. 8099. doi:10.3386/w8099

Eibner, C., Sturm, R., & Gresenz, C.R. (2004). Does relative deprivation predict the need for mental health services? The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, 7, 167–175.

Eibner, C., & Evans, W.N. (2005). Relative deprivation, poor health habits, and mortality. Journal of Human Resources, 40(3), 591–620. doi:10.3368/jhr.XL.3.591

Erp, F., Vermeer, N., & van Vuuren, D. (2014). Non-financial determinants of retirement: A literature review. De Economist, 162(2). doi:10.1007/s10645-014-9229-5

European Commission. (2018). The 2018 ageing report. Economic and budgetary projections for the EU member states 2016–2070. Retrieved from: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/finance-and-investment/pensions-at-a-glance-2021_f735ea2f-en

Gov. (2018). 7 zasad emerytalnych. Retrieved from: www.gov.pl/web/rodzina/7-zasad-emerytalnych?fbclid=IwAR0afvBvMuCmoZAsY7WeyqMaFCMRuZoy9BJ4K0gBYqrMPl7U8CjsPPYtAKo

GUS. (2010). Polska w liczbach. Retrieved from https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/inne-opracowania/inne-opracowania-zbiorcze/polska-w-liczbach-2010,14,3.html?contrast=default

GUS. (2022). Polska w liczbach. Retrieved from https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/inne-opracowania/inne-opracowania-zbiorcze/polska-w-liczbach-2022,14,15.html

Hess, M., Naegele, L., Becker, L., Mäcken, J., de Tavernier, W. (2021). Planned retirement timing in Europe: Are Europeans adapting to the policy of extending working lives. Frontiers in Sociology, 6. doi:10.3389/fsoc.2021.691066

Iwański, R., Tomczak, Ł., & Lipska-Sondecka, A. (2021). Decreasing the retirement age in the view of dynamically ageing population in Poland. Athenaeum. Polskie Studia Politologiczne, 71(3). doi:10.15804/athena.2021.71.05

Jedynak, T. (2022a). Behawioralne uwarunkowania decyzji o przejściu na emeryturę. Warszawa: C.H. Beck.

Jedynak, T. (2022b). Does the formulation of the decision problem affect retirement? – Framing effect and planned retirement age. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4). doi:10.3390/ijerph19041977

Kietlińska, K. (2018). Przyczyny kryzysu ubezpieczeń emerytalnych we współczesnym świecie na przykładzie Polski. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, sectio H – Oeconomia, 52(1), 83–95. doi:10.17951/h.2018.52.1.83

Knoll, M. (2011). Behavioral and psychological aspects of the retirement decision. Social Security Bulletin, 71(4).

Kondo, N., Saito, M., Hikichi, H., Aida, J., Ojima, T., Kondo, K., & Kawachi, I. (2015). Relative deprivation in income and mortality by leading causes among older Japanese men and women: AGES cohort study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 69(7), 680–685. doi:10.1136/jech-2014-205103

Krzyżowski, Ł., Kowalik, W., Suwada, K., & Pawlina, A. (2014). Młodzi emeryci w Polsce. Między biernością a aktywnością. Warszawa: Wyd. Naukowe Scholar.

Lopez Garcia, I., Mullen, K., & Wenger, J. (2021). The role of physical job demands and the physical work environment in retirement outcomes. Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Center, Working Paper No. 437.

Maier, M. (2016). System zabezpieczenia emerytalnego a starzenie się społeczeństwa w Polsce. Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 451, 230–239. doi:10.15611/pn.2016.451.19

McGarry, K. (2002). Health and retirement: Do changes in health affect retirement expectations. NBER Working Paper No. 9317.

Mishra, S., & Carleton, R.N. (2015). Subjective relative deprivation is associated with poorer physical and mental health. Social Science & Medicine, 147, 144–149. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.10.030

Nicolaisen, M., Thorsen, K., & Eriksen, S. (2012). Jump into the void? Factors related to a preferred retirement age: Gender, social interests, and leisure activities. International Journal of Aging and Human Development Index, 75(3), 239–271. doi:10.2190/AG.75.3.c

OECD. (2020). International survey of adult financial literacy. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/financial/education/oecd-infe-2020-international-survey-of-adult-financial-literacy.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1WfGN6QFF11QHSGxeQEBYLCg_gMbZkYNEGxVXlz-lDGoFF4Zu-L8RTXeM

OECD. (2021). Future retirement ages. Retrieved from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/ca401ebd-en/1/3/3/6/index.html?itemId=%2Fcontent%2Fpublication%2Fca401ebd-en&_csp_=9d37797bd84847326841f27f588be463&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=book&fbclid=IwAR22w6elnB3tjBBZLkfLn-RO86wWvssu8JIt8bQxrQbF_-1mc24vqfY7sNg

PARP. (2020). Starzenie się społeczeństwa – wyzwanie dla rynku pracy. Aktywizacja pracowników 50+. Retrieved from https://www.parp.gov.pl/component/publications/publication/starzenie-sie-spoleczenstwa-wyzwanie-dla-rynku-pracy-aktywizacja-pracownikow-50

Phillipson, C., & Smith, A. (2005). Extending working life: A review of the research literature. Department for Work and Pensions Research Reports, Research Paper No. 299.

Pilipiec, P., Groot, W., & Pavlova, M. (2020). The Analysis of Predictors of Retirement Preferences over Time. Journal of Population Ageing, 15. doi:10.1007/s12062-020-09305-3

Riedel, M., Hofer, H., & Wögerbaueret, B. (2015). Determinants for the transition from work into retirement in Europe. IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, 4(4). doi:10.1186/s40174-014-0027-5

Runciman, W.G. (1966). Relative Deprivation and Social Justice: A Study of Attitudes to Social Inequality in Twentieth-Century England. Berkley: University of California Press.

Sieczkowski, W. (2017). Behawioralne aspekty decyzji dotyczących dodatkowego zabezpieczenia emerytalnego (wnioski dla Polski). Wiadomości Ubezpieczeniowe, 4.

Tomar, S., Baker, K., Kumar, S., & Hoffmann, A. (2021). Psychological determinants of retirement financial planning behavior. Journal of Business Research, 133, 432–449. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.05.007

de Tavernier, W., & Roots, A. (2015). When do people want to retire? The preferred retirement age gap between Eastern and Western Europe explained. Studies of Transition States and Societies, 7(3), 7–20.

Thaler, R.H., & Sunstein, C.R. (2008). Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. New Haven – London: Yale University Press.

Topa, G., & Alcover, C.M. (2015). Psychosocial factors in retirement intentions and adjustment: A multi-sample study. Career Development International, 20(4). doi:10.1108/CDI-09-2014-0129

Tougas, R., Lagace, M., De La Sablonniere, R., & Kocum, L. (2004). A new approach to the link between identity and relative deprivation in the perspective of ageism and retirement. Aging and Human Development, 59(1), 3. doi:10.2190/3WTN-63QQ-EJMG-BGYA

United Nations. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019. Vol. II: Demographic Profiles. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/world-population-prospects-2019-volume-ii-demographic-profiles

Vermeer, N., van Soest, A., & Mastrogiacomo, M. (2016). Demanding occupations and the retirement age. Labour Economics. doi:10.1016/j.labeco.2016.05.020

Vermeer, N., van Rooij, M., & van Vuuren, D. (2019). Retirement age preferences: The role of social interactions and anchoring at the statutory retirement age. De Economist, 167, 307–345. doi:10.1007/s10645-019-09350-0

Włodarczyk, J. (2018). Interpersonalne porównania dochodów w perspektywie integracji monetarnej Polski ze strefą euro. Warszawa: Wyd. Naukowe PWN.

World Health Organization. (2015). World report on ageing and health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565042

Zieleniecki, M. (2012). Ewolucja wieku emerytalnego w ustawodawstwie polskim – perspektywa historyczna. Wiek Emerytalny, 8–23.

ZUS. (2013). Zmiany w przepisach emerytalnych od 1 stycznia 2013 r. wynikające z ustawy z dnia 11 maja 2012 r. o emeryturach i rentach z Funduszu Ubezpieczeń Społecznych oraz innych ustaw. Retrieved from https://www.zus.pl/-/zmiany-w-przepisach-emerytalnych-od-1-stycznia-2013-r-wynikajace-z-ustawy-z-dnia-11-maja-2012-r-o-emeryturach-i-rentach-z-funduszu-ubezpieczen-spolecz?fbclid=IwAR19EQuuZT0n_z1aKq56sjJ9RmHiRIQSh_0jtUXMMFGeulySjm3o3rNcxPY

ZUS. (2017). Zmiany w przepisach emerytalnych od 1 października 2017 r. Retrieved from https://www.zus.pl/-/zmiany-w-przepisach-emerytalnych-od-1-pazdziernika-2017-r-?fbclid=IwAR1S8k4-GcufEPQePMXS6OD6n4jLIoZzDtSBLUCp9nCt9W7WdMU90uslviE

ZUS. (2021). Prezes ZUS: im dłuższa praca, tym wyższa emerytura. Retrieved from: www.zus.pl/-/prezes-zus-im-dluzsza-praca-tym-wyzsza-emerytura?fbclid=IwAR1O3iYXBoCtARFTTx9IqlOhZxduNXPcqn8_VCC0sIQa5MmjyCz4GWwtnI




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/h.2022.56.4.185-206
Date of publication: 2023-03-14 22:43:34
Date of submission: 2022-10-30 21:20:04


Statistics


Total abstract view - 897
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF - 0

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2023 Sylwia Wajnbrener, Dominika Werczyńska, Julia Włodarczyk

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.