Reforming Early Retirement in Europe, Japan and the USA

Abstract

Since the 1970s, early exit from work has become a major challenge in modern welfare states. Governments, employers, and unions alike once thought of early retirement as a peaceful solution to the economic problems of mass unemployment and industrial restructuring. Today, governments and international organizations advocate the postponement of retirement and an increase in activity among older workers. Comparing eight European countries, the USA, and Japan, this book demonstrates significant cross-national differences in early retirement across countries and over time. The study evaluates the impact of major variations in welfare regimes, production systems, and labor relations. It stresses the importance of the ‘pull factor’ of extensive welfare state provisions, particularly in Continental Europe; the ‘push factor’ of labor shedding strategies by firms, particularly in Anglo-American market economies; and the role of employers and worker representatives in negotiating retirement policies, particularly in coordinated market economies. Over the last three decades, early retirement has become a popular social policy and employment practice in the workplace, adding to the fiscal crises and employment problems of today’s welfare states. Attempts to reverse early retirement policies have led to major reform debates. Unilateral government policies to cut back on social benefits have not had the expected employment results due to resistance from employers, workers, and their organizations. Successful reforms require the cooperation of both sides. This study provides comprehensive empirical analyses and a balanced approach to both the pull and the push factors needed to understand the development of early retirement regimes.Part I Exploring Interests and Institutions Chapter 1 Introduction: The Paradox of Early Exit from Work Chapter 2 Actor Constellations and Interest Coalitions: Labor, Employers, and the State Chapter 3 Protection, Production, and Partnership Institutions: From Institutional Affinities to Complementarities Part II Comparing Early Exit Regimes Chapter 4 Ever Earlier Retirement: Comparing Employment Trajectories Chapter 5 The Protection‐Pull Factors: Multiple Pathways to Early Exit Chapter 6 The Production‐Push Factors: The Political Economy of Labor Shedding Part III Reform Obstacles and Opportunities Chapter 7 Exit from Early Retirement: Paradigm Shifts, Policy Reversals, and Reform Obstacles Chapter 8 Conclusion: From Path Dependence to Path Departure

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