What really is a pension crisis? A theoretical argument on the link between ageing, productivity, and retirement

"This paper revisits the arguments put forward by policy-makers about the ongoing crisis of public pension systems. Demographic ageing, high contribution rates, present or future fiscal deficits of the social security budgets, and low productivity levels – all these factors have been identified...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Center for Policy Studies, Budapest, Adascalitei, Dragos, Domonkos, Stefan
Institution:ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
Format: TEXT
Language:English
Published: Budapest 2015
Center for Policy Studies. Central European University
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19104695124919228779-What-really-is-a-pension-crisi.htm
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author Center for Policy Studies, Budapest
Adascalitei, Dragos
Domonkos, Stefan
author_facet Center for Policy Studies, Budapest
Adascalitei, Dragos
Domonkos, Stefan
collection Library items
description "This paper revisits the arguments put forward by policy-makers about the ongoing crisis of public pension systems. Demographic ageing, high contribution rates, present or future fiscal deficits of the social security budgets, and low productivity levels – all these factors have been identified as the roots of pension crises in various countries. We analyze these conceptualizations of the pension crises in the context of Central and Eastern European political economies. We argue that considering demographic ageing or the fiscal condition of the pension budget akin to a crisis is unwarranted. By contrast, we link the notion of a pension crisis to productivity levels, and subsequently evaluate whether an increase in labor productivity can serve as a solution to the financial strain of public PAYG schemes in Central and Eastern Europe. We find that dependence on foreign direct investments might be a significant hindering factor, and conclude that even sizeable increases in productivity levels might fail to resolve the financing difficulties of public PAYG systems in Central and Eastern Europe. Under these circumstances, austerity, especially increases in the retirement age accompanied by policies of active ageing, appear to be the most acceptable solution to the fiscal problems of exiting PAYG pension systems."
format TEXT
geographic Central Europe
Eastern Europe
id 19104695124919228779_226bf5db2b904d5482ffb120f821d1d8
institution ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
is_hierarchy_id 19104695124919228779_226bf5db2b904d5482ffb120f821d1d8
is_hierarchy_title What really is a pension crisis? A theoretical argument on the link between ageing, productivity, and retirement
language English
physical 20 p.
Digital
publishDate 2015
publisher Budapest
Center for Policy Studies. Central European University
spellingShingle Center for Policy Studies, Budapest
Adascalitei, Dragos
Domonkos, Stefan
ageing
labour productivity
pension scheme
retirement
social security
wages
What really is a pension crisis? A theoretical argument on the link between ageing, productivity, and retirement
thumbnail https://www.labourline.org/Image_prev.jpg?Archive=106777992495
title What really is a pension crisis? A theoretical argument on the link between ageing, productivity, and retirement
topic ageing
labour productivity
pension scheme
retirement
social security
wages
url https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19104695124919228779-What-really-is-a-pension-crisi.htm