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This theme focuses on the concern of European policy makers to raise the labour-force participation of elderly workers. This is a core issue in micro-economic research, but health, psychological and social factors also play a role. 

Sub-themes and authors:

• Employment at older ages - supply and demand factors
  Brendan Whelan, Amilcar Moreira and Asghar Zaidi
• Pension systems and human capital
  Bas Jacobs and Lans Bovenberg
• Labour force participation of older workers
  Arthur van Soest

A workshop was held in Dublin (IE) on Friday 14 November 2008, of which the programme and papers can be consulted here (click on the titles in the programme or use the bookmark tab to go to the papers).  Please note that these papers should not be quoted.

This topic includes everything related to defined-benefit and defined-contribution pension systems, intergenerational risk sharing, individual decisions on pensions and other retirement savings (e.g., portfolio choice, housing), consumption patterns before and after retirement, decisions to annuitize or not, financial knowledge, etc. The disciplines providing insights on this are mainly micro-economics, finance, psychology, and public policy. Health plays a role through the financial risks of health shocks and health (and work disability) insurance.

Sub-themes and authors:

• Adequacy of saving for old age
  Elsa Fornero, Annamaria Lusardi, Chiara Monticone
• Risk and portfolio choices
  Christian Gollier
• Financial institutions and innovative products
  Lans Bovenberg and Theo Nijman

A workshop was held in Turin (IT) on Friday 19 September 2008, of which the programme and papers can be consulted here (click on the titles in the programme or use the bookmark tab to go to the papers).  Please note that these papers should not be quoted.

This theme comprises not only economic well-being (which is obviously related to the second theme also), but is also driven by family contacts and other social networks and inter- and intra-generational transfers, time use and satisfaction with daily activities (including paid work and volunteer work), social exclusion, physical and mental health (and health behaviour and prevention), availability of formal and informal long-term care, and other aspects of the health care system.

Sub-themes and authors:

• Old age, health, long term care (PPT)
  Alberto Holly
• Social productivity and well-being (PPT)
  Johannes Siegrist and Morten Wahrendorf
• Social networks (PPT)
  Martin Kohli and Harald Künemund
• Regulation of psycho-social well-being (PPT)
  Isabelle Albert, Dieter Ferring and Pasqualina Perrig-Chiello 
  

A workshop was held in Lausanne (CH) on Friday 24 October 2008, of which the programme and papers can be consulted here (click on the titles in the programme or use the bookmark tab to go to the papers). Papers should not be quoted.  Presentations can be viewed by clicking on PPT above.