Pension choices and job mobility in the UK.

Abstract

Using data from the British Household Panel Survey we analyze the impact of second tier pension schemes on voluntary job mobility within a discrete time hazard rate modelling framework. We find that workers covered by occupational pension plans have significantly lower quit rates, independently of their participation decision. Contrary to common policy suggestions, pension portability losses are not important in explaining quits. However, when we account for occupational pensions' endogeneity through instrumental variables, we find that their negative impact on quit hazards is due to "selection on unobservables".