Trends in Labor Force Participation of Older Workers in Spain

29 Pages Posted: 30 May 2018 Last revised: 27 Apr 2023

See all articles by Pilar Garcia-Gomez

Pilar Garcia-Gomez

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE)

Sergi Jimenez-Martin

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences

Judit Vall Castelló

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Center for Research in Health and Economics (CRES)

Date Written: May 2018

Abstract

Similar to other OECD countries, labor force participation rates of Spanish older workers were falling until the mid-1990s when there was a reversal in the trend. Labor force participation rates of Spanish men have been increasing since then, although at a slower pace than in other OECD countries. We explore to what extent several factors can be behind these trends. First, we conclude that the (old-age) social security system (except perhaps for the disability component) has played a marginal (at most) role on this reversal given the lack of major changes in social security benefits until the last set of reforms in 2011 and 2013. Second, we also rule out that changes in the health status of the population are responsible for the reversal of this trend. Finally, we find that aggregate economic conditions, and differences across cohorts in both the skill composition and the labor force attachment of wives are potential drivers of these observed changes.

Suggested Citation

Garcia Gomez, Pilar and Jimenez-Martin, Sergi and Castelló, Judit Vall, Trends in Labor Force Participation of Older Workers in Spain (May 2018). NBER Working Paper No. w24637, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3185892

Pilar Garcia Gomez (Contact Author)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam, NL 3062 PA
Netherlands

Sergi Jimenez-Martin

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences ( email )

Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27
Barcelona, 08005
Spain
(34) 93 542 16 67 (Phone)
(34) 93 542 17 46 (Fax)

Judit Vall Castelló

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Center for Research in Health and Economics (CRES) ( email )

Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27
Barcelona, 08005
Spain

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
11
Abstract Views
334
PlumX Metrics