This paper examines factors underlying family migration. Based on a sample of stable Finnish families, both short- and long-distance migration is investigated. The empirical analysis carried out using multinomial logit modelling shows a strong negative association between the family life-cycle and migration. The findings indicate that migration takes place mainly due to the demands of the husband’s career, resulting in the wives being tied migrants. Two-earner families are less migratory, and in that sense the husbands are tied stayers. Distance matters; several differences are noticed between short- and long-distance migrants. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2004C31, J61, R23, Family migration, ties, distance,

In this paper, we analyze gender and socioeconomic differences in the length of working lives and pension income in Finland. Based on internationally unique data covering 50 years of recorded information on individual employment histories and first-year old-age pension income of a cohort retiring in 2011, we trace life-time work histories and their relation to pension income with greater precision than previous studies. While gender and socioeconomic income differences in the lengths of working lives are modest, differences in pension income are more pronounced. The residence-based national pension targeted at those with no or only low earning-related pension accrual plays an important role in cushioning old-age income differences. The results suggest that unequal life-time earnings and occupational segregation remain main challenges for equalizing pension income in old age.

Nivalainen S. (2005) Interregional migration and post‐move employment in two‐earner families: evidence from Finland, Regional Studies 39 , 891–907. This paper investigates the post‐move employment of men and women in Finnish two‐earner families, taking account of selection bias and heteroskedasticity. A unique data set consisting of actual couples is used. Heteroskedasticity does not seem to be a great problem, but the results demonstrate the importance of the selectivity correction: unobservable characteristics exist that both increase migrants' employment potential and make them more mobile. Migration itself generally exerts a negative effect, i.e. migrants have a lower tendency to be employed than stayers. However, average inspections may mask a wide variation. Extended analysis shows that migration in fact leaves the majority of husbands unaffected, and that some husbands actually benefit from moving. Instead, migration has a negative impact on wives in all cases. Hence, the results suggest that the husband's employment considerations are weighted more, and that wives are often the tied parties in family migration.Family migration, Employment, Migration de la famille, Emploi, Familienumzug, Erwerbstätigkeit, Migración familiar, Empleo, JEL classifications: J23, J61, R23,

Abstract This study applies Feldman and Beehr's three-step model to examine retirement as a decision-making process leading from retirement thoughts to retirement plans and from retirement plans to actual retirement. The results show that retirement thoughts have a clear independent effect on retirement plans as measured by intended retirement age. Furthermore, retirement plans have an isolated effect on retirement patterns. Intended retirement age is the strongest predictor of actual retirement age. Retirement intentions can be thought to represent the effect of unobservable characteristics on retirement, such as preference and motivation. Retirement plans materialise with quite high accuracy. Several key factors are associated with intended and actual retirement age in a similar manner. Unemployment and higher income are connected with earlier planned and actual retirement. Health has a pronounced effect: better health is conducive to later retirement while weaker health (sickness absences) is conducive to earlier retirement. This applies both to retirement intentions and actual retirement and to the difference between the two. The most important way for organisations to extend working lives is to look after the health of older employees. Giving older workers an increased sense of control and lowering job demands helps to prevent premature retirement. Supporting older workers’ continued employment is significant for the retention of older workers, while layoffs targeting older workers shorten working lives.

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