The Economic Implications of Aging Societies
The Costs of Living Happily Ever After

This book documents challenging consequences aging societies face: fewer workers, stretched pensions, questionable economic sustainability.

Steven A. Nyce (Author), Sylvester J. Schieber (Author)

9780521617246, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 17 January 2005

424 pages, 33 b/w illus. 33 tables
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.8 cm, 0.57 kg

'… 'perhaps the most comprehensive analysis to date of the macroeconomic implications over the next few decades of current demographic trends in a wide range of countries.' The material is presented in a highly readable, informative, and non-partisan format that draws the reader inexorably through the maze of issues and their potential solutions.' The Journal of PEF

The world is getting older and no one knows exactly what life will be like in tomorrow's older societies. But we do know that age dependency ratios - the ratio of retirees to workers - will be much higher than we see today. The implications of this trend are plain. The combined effects of fewer workers, more retirees and longer retirement periods threaten not only the sustainability of pension systems but also the broader economic prospects of many developed countries. This book describes trends in birth rates, longevity and labor force participation and productivity, the cross-border flow of capital, the globalization of labor markets, the financial viability of social insurance programs, and the ways economic output is shared between working-age and retiree populations. Our most effective solution will likely be a multifaceted one: more workers, longer careers, higher productivity, and more global exchange and cooperation.

1. Introduction
2. Population developments in a global context
3. Pension options, motivations and choices
4. Pension structures and the implications of aging
5. Retirement systems and the economic costs of aging
6. Beyond pensions to health care considerations
7. Labor supply and living standards
8. Too many wants or too few workers?
9. Alternatives to finding more workers
10. Aligning retirement policy with labor needs
11. Funding pensions and securing retiree claims
12. Macroeconomic policies for improved living standards
13. Risks associated with alternative public policies
14. Roadmap to the future.

Subject Areas: Economics [KC], Political science & theory [JPA], Population & demography [JHBD], Sociology & anthropology [JH]