Firm-Level Policy Toward Older Workers

This paper focuses on one aspect of long-term labor contracts -- employer-provided pensions -- in order to develop a better understanding of how such contracts affect employment patterns of older workers. Pensions are one of the few elements of the employment package which explicitly describe long term agreements between workers and their employers; consequently they offer a unique opportunity to study these agreements. The present paper combines labor supply and contract theory to examine pension responses to changes in taxes, Social Security benefits, and the federal government's recent decision to lift the age of mandatory retirement. Evidence on a longitudinal sample of pension plans from 1960 to the present suggests:(1) During the 1960-70 period, Social Security increases generated changes in pensions favoring early retirement; and (2) During the 1970-80 period, some plans reduced private pension benefits in response to the raising of the mandatory retirement age.

The Social Security Student Benefit Program and Family Decisions

In 1965 Congress established the Social Security Student Benefit Program which provided benefits for children of deceased, disabled or retired workers,who were enrolled in college full-time and were not married, up until thesemester they turned age 22. The program grew to be a major financial aid program; at its peak in FY 81 it represented about 20% of all federal outlays on student assistance for higher education. The program was terminated for students newly entering college as of May 1, 1982. Somewhat surprisingly, in contrast to the debate that accompanies most social programs, debate over the student benefit program focused on its costs and almost totally ignored the possible effects of the program. Virtually nothing is known about how the program influenced potential recipients decisions to attend college, the quality of the education they received, the amount that recipients' families contributed to the student's education, or recipients' in-school and summer employment.This paper seeks to shed insights into some of these effects, using data from the Social Security Administration's 1973 Survey of Student Beneficiaries the only national survey of participants in the program.

Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass Anglers: How different are they?

Abstract In 2009, SUNY ESF completed a survey of 7,000 property owners in the seven counties bordering Lake Ontario in New York in order to examine the motivations, constraints, and facilitators of resident bass anglers. A total of 1,303 surveys were returned; 681 anglers completed the full survey, 165 of whom prefer to fish for either largemouth or smallmouth bass. Two factor analyses (i.e., for motivations and facilitators/constraints) confirmed eight motivations and twelve constraints/facilitators. Significant differences were identified between smallmouth and largemouth bass anglers for the motivations of nature appreciation and satisfaction with the experience only

An Exploratory Factor Analysis of Lake Ontario Resident Bass Angler Motivations, Constraints, and Facilitators

Abstract In 2009, SUNY ESF completed a survey of 7,000 property owners in the seven New York counties bordering Lake Ontario in order to examine the motivations, constraints, and facilitators related to resident bass fishing participation. The questionnaire included five-point scale questions on motivations and constraints/facilitators to fishing. Resident anglers returned 681 completed surveys. A short follow-up survey was distributed to all non-respondents and 264 additional responses were received from anglers. After data entry, bass anglers were identified based on respondents\u27 preferences for either largemouth or smallmouth bass fishing. Two exploratory factor analyses were conducted: one for variables related to motivations and one for constraints/facilitators. The factor analyses yielded 10 motivation-related factors and 11 constraints/facilitators. Motivations for fishing were affiliation and nature appreciation/enjoyment. Factors identified by respondents as constraining fishing participation were lack of time and bad weather; factors found to facilitate fishing participation were good weather, current/past experience, and access

Explaining Pension Dynamics

Some contend the US labor market will fail to adapt smoothly to an aging workforce, whereas others argue that employee pensions can and will play an important role in helping companies induce desired turnover patterns. This paper undertakes a longitudinal examination of pension retirement incentives in several dozen plans observed between about 1960 to 1980. The plans under study instituted many changes over this period, several of which enhanced the financial payoff to early retirement. These alterations included increases in benefit levels, reductions in early, normal and mandatory retirement ages, and cuts in the age at which pension present values peak (with retirement after that age penalized). We also find that simple indicators of pension plans' structural features (e.g. the plan's early retirement age) do not adequately summarize the complex financial incentives inherent in pensions, so that most of our attention is directed to analysis of financial benefit level measures. Three major explanations for observed pension outcomes are evaluated empirically. Of special policy interest is an evaluation of pension responses to changes in Social Security benefit rules. Additionally, key differences in behavior are discovered between single employer and multiemployer pension plans. We conclude that pension plan behavior is systematically related to both labor and product market characteristics, and is responsive to retirement income policy.

Understanding the Nomological Net for Gender Bias

The current study investigated the nomological net of gender bias by exploring how the concepts of descriptive/prescriptive bia

Workplace-Linked Pensions for an Aging Demographic

Pensions and population aging intersect in two ways. First, demographic change threatens the sustainability of traditional pay-as-you-go social security pensions, leaving workplace-linked pensions with a greater role in retirement provision. Second, as the Baby Boom generation enters retirement, new challenges arise around its retirement support. This chapter reviews some of the implications of population aging for workplace pensions in this new environment, outlines market considerations important for workplace-related pension design for the future, and discusses how governments can create an environment supportive of workplace-related pensions, should they wish to do so. We conclude that workplace-linked retirement saving systems will be asked to do even more than in the past, given the financial stress that pay-as-you-go governmentrun Social Security plans are confronting in the face of an aging demographic. This will require further product innovation and additional research

Renewable energy from forest resources in the United States

Interest in biomass energy resources from forests, farms and other sources has been rapidly increasing in recent years because of growing concern with reducing carbon dioxide emissions and developing alternatives to increasingly scarce, expensive and insecure oil supplies. The uniqueness of this book is its coverage of biomass energy markets in the US from an economic as well as technical perspective. Existing books typically focus on single markets or technical aspects at the exclusion of economics, and have given greater coverage to biomass energy outside the US. This edited collection has three main parts. Part One provides a historical overview of forest biomass energy use in the US; the major technologies, economics, market prospects, and policies. Part Two presents forest biomass energy assessments, including life cycle and sustainability perspectives, and Part Three includes five sets of regional case studies. After reviewing the history of wood energy use in the US and technology options, the book shows that forests could displace sixteen per cent of domestic transportation fuel use in 2030