Joseph Quinn - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Joseph Quinn

American Psychologist, 2016

We have entered a new world of retirement income security in America, with older individuals more... more We have entered a new world of retirement income security in America, with older individuals more exposed to market risk and more vulnerable to financial insecurity than prior generations. This reflects an evolution that has altered the historical vision of a financially-secure retirement supported by Social Security, a defined-benefit pension plan, and individual savings. Today, two of these three retirement income sourcespensions and savingsare absent or of modest importance for many older Americans. Retirement income security now often requires earnings from continued work later in life, which exacerbates the economic vulnerability of certain segments of the population, including persons with disabilities, the oldest-old, single women, and individuals with intermittent work histories. Because of the unprecedented aging of our society, further changes to the retirement income landscape are inevitable, but policymakers do have options to help protect the financial stability of older Americans. We can begin by promoting savings at all (especially younger) ages and by removing barriers that discourage work later in life. For individuals already on the cusp of retirement, more needs to be done to educate the public about the value of delaying the receipt of Social Security benefits. Inaction now could mean a return to the days when old age and poverty were closely linked. The negative repercussions of this outcome would extend well beyond traditional economic measures, as physical and mental health outcomes are closely tied to financial security.

Oxford University Press eBooks, Oct 18, 2018

This paper describes the challenges and opportunities that older Americans face, with a focus on ... more This paper describes the challenges and opportunities that older Americans face, with a focus on retirement income security and the role of continued work later in life. We begin with an overview of the new world of retirement income security in America, including a discussion of how a low return environment (e.g., low interest rates) exacerbates existing retirement income security challenges. We then document how older Americans have responded to the evolving retirement income landscape, especially when and how they exit the labor force, and we explore how continued work later in life can help mitigate some of the anticipated retirement security challenges. We then pose some important outstanding questions. The implications of societal aging depend in large part on how we harness or squander the labor resources of older Americans.

Religions, Apr 17, 2017

In the search for effective measures to combat poverty, two government policies have been given m... more In the search for effective measures to combat poverty, two government policies have been given much attention. One is the establishment of a federal minimum wage to help workers secure a decent standard of living. The second measure is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which gives tax refunds to workers in households that fall below a set standard of income. Both policies have supporters and critics regarding the effectiveness of the policies. This essay provides an economic analysis of the two measures. Among the issues discussed are how the policies affect employment and poverty, and how well targeted they are at the population at risk.

Work, Aging and Retirement, May 19, 2018

Considerable prior research has shown that most older Americans with career employment transition... more Considerable prior research has shown that most older Americans with career employment transition to bridge jobs before exiting the labor force. One criticism of this research is that bridge job activity may be overstated because the definition of a bridge job in the existing literature does not require a change in occupation. For some, the "bridge job" may just be another in a series of job changes, and not a prelude to retirement. This article investigates the extent to which bridge jobs involve a change in occupation or a switch to part-time status, both of which may signal the start of a retirement transition, as opposed to continued career employment, albeit with a different employer. We utilize the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal dataset of older Americans that began in 1992. Among HRS respondents who were on a full-time career job at the time of the first interview and who changed jobs in subsequent waves, 48% of the men and 39% of the women also changed their (two-digit) occupation at the time of their first transition. Further, when hours worked is also considered, about 3 quarters of men and women experienced a change in occupation and/or a switch from full-time to part-time status. We conclude that most career workers who changed jobs later in life did in fact do so as part of a retirement transition. Ignoring these subtleties does result in an overestimate of bridge job activity, but only a modest one.

Innovation in Aging, Dec 1, 2021

Oral healthcare for the aging was severely disrupted during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2... more Oral healthcare for the aging was severely disrupted during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 . Transformative changes in care delivery involved teledentistry, mobile/portable dentistry, minimally invasive dentistry, aerosol minimization, and interprofessional oral care. Management of chronic oral health problems evolved through periods of limited to no access to daily and professional oral healthcare. Access to care has been influenced by availability of the oral care workforce, variability in long term care policy, and the lack of funding to cover medically necessary services delivered via asynchronous telehealth technologies. Impacts were identified six and twelve months into the pandemic. These will be compared to the state of oral healthcare for the aging 18 months from the start of the pandemic. The impact of vaccination on access to care will be explored. Variability between states (Idaho/Michigan/ Minnesota/Rhode Island) will be addressed. Directions of new and needed research opportunities will be discussed.

Social Science Research Network, 2014

To what extent does hours flexibility in career employment impact the retirement process? Workpla... more To what extent does hours flexibility in career employment impact the retirement process? Workplace flexibility policies have the potential to improve both the welfare of employees and the business outcomes of employers. These policies, and hours flexibility in particular for older Americans, have also been touted as a way to reduce turnover. For older Americans, reductions in turnover could mean more years in career employment, fewer years in bridge employment, and little or no impact on the timing of retirement. Alternatively, hours flexibility in career employment could lead to longer working lives and delayed retirements. The distinction between the two outcomes is important if hours flexibility policies, such as phased retirement, are to be considered an option for alleviating the strains of an aging society. This paper describes how hours flexibility in career employment impacts the retirement patterns of older Americans. We use data on three cohorts of older Americans from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a large nationally-representative dataset that began in 1992. We explore the extent to which hours flexibility arrangements are available and utilized in career employment and explore the extent to which such arrangements impact job transitions later in life. We find that bridge job prevalence is higher among those with access to hours flexibility in career employment compared to those without hours flexibility. Further, while we find mixed evidence that hours flexibility extends time in career employment, we do find that hours flexibility in career employment is associated with longer tenure on bridge jobs. Taken together these results suggest that hours flexibility in career employment is associated with extended work lives, particularly in post-career employment.

Journal of Pension Economics & Finance, Feb 11, 2019

Do the retirement patterns of public-sector workers differ from those in the private sector? Most... more Do the retirement patterns of public-sector workers differ from those in the private sector? Most private-sector workers today face a do-it-yourself retirement income landscape characterized by an exposure to market forces through defined-contribution pension plans and private saving, and the risk of financial insecurity later in life. Public-sector workers, in contrast, are typically covered by defined-benefit pension plans that both encourage retirement at relatively young ages and offer financial security at older ages. As a result, the consequences of private-and publicsector workers' retirement decisions could differ in important ways.

Routledge eBooks, Jul 23, 2019

The Economics of Aging, 1985

was made possible by the contributions of many individuals and institutions. We are extremely ple... more was made possible by the contributions of many individuals and institutions. We are extremely pleased to have the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employ ment Research and the College of Health and Human Services and the College of Arts and Sciences as co-sponsors of the series. In addition, the series benefitted significantly from the contribution of the Seminar Com mittee composed of Professors Phillip Caruso, Sisay Asefa and Michael Payne of the Department of Economics. Finally, we owe thanks to Ms. Becky Ryder and Bonnie Kuminski of the secretarial staff of the Depart ment of Economics for keeping the seminar on track.

Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 1991

The Gerontologist, 1996

We used the first wave of the new Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to document the importance of... more We used the first wave of the new Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to document the importance of transitional stages-bridge jobs-between career employment and complete labor force withdrawal in the early 1990s. We describe the labor force status of a sample of about 9,500 older Americans with some work experience after age 49, and the transition patterns of those for whom we can identify a career job. We observe significant bridge job activity, including part-time work and movement between self-employment and wage-and-salary jobs. Subsequent waves of the HRS will permit researchers to follow this large sample through the labor force withdrawal process and to analyze the determinants and consequences of alternative retirement routes.

To be effective, policy makers must try to anticipate future crises and develop plans to deal wit... more To be effective, policy makers must try to anticipate future crises and develop plans to deal with them. In this paper, I would like to describe a potential crisis I see coming and make some suggestions about what we as a society might do about it. The potential crisis is the retirement of the baby boomerspeople like me. Few phenomena have presented a greater continuing challenge to America than the aging of my generation. We have been making waves since we arrived 30 to 45 years ago. In the 1950s, we created shortages of maternity beds and four-bedroom houses. In the 1960s, we forced massive investment in educational facilities as we moved through primary and secondary school, and painful contractions in the 1980s as we moved out. In the 1970s and 1980s, as we joined the labor force in great numbers, we tested the economy's ability to create jobs and maintain full employment. In the 90s, we are clogging promotional ladders, and early next century, we will contemplate leaving the labor force. The decisions we make about when and how to stop work will have major implications for the size and composition of the labor force, the financial well-being of public and private retirement plans (Social Security and employer pensions), as well as the personal well-being of the individuals involved. in this paper, I will outline recent and projected aging and retirement trends in America. I will then discuss why people retire when they do, with an emphasis on the financial incentives that have been built into many of our public and private retirement systems. I will then turn to some recent research on the plans and preferences of older Americans. Are older Americans willing and able to work? If so, why are more not doing so? Finally, I will address the role of public policy, both past and future, in influencing these retirement trends.

Gerontologist, Dec 7, 2013

Purpose of the Study: Older Americans contemplating retirement today face a very different econom... more Purpose of the Study: Older Americans contemplating retirement today face a very different economic environment than prior cohorts did. This article examines whether the retirement patterns of older Americans have changed as a result. Design and Methods: Using data from 10 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we examine the prevalence of bridge jobs, phased retirement, and labor market reentry among 3 recent cohorts of older Americans, from 1992 through 2010. Determinants of retirement transitions are examined using bivariate comparisons and multivariate logistic and multinomial logistic regression models. Results: We find that traditional one-time, permanent exits from the labor force continue to be the exception rather than the rule and that the retirement patterns of the Early Boomers, those on the cusp of retirement during the recent Great Recession, appear to be diverging from those of earlier cohorts. The Early Boomer women, in particular, were more likely than those in previous cohorts, the HRS Core and the HRS War Babies, to move to a bridge job prior to exiting the labor force completely and both Early Boomer men and women were more likely to leave their career jobs involuntarily, with layoffs being a key factor. The "do-it-yourself" approach to retirement planning-with individuals managing a large portion of their retirement finances-is now common among older Americans. This change in the retirement environment, combined with a significant and persistent cyclical downturn, may have long-lasting effects and suggests that the concept of retirement in the United States will continue to evolve.

The charge of the Technical Panel on Trends and Issues in Retirement Savings (TIRS) was to "... more The charge of the Technical Panel on Trends and Issues in Retirement Savings (TIRS) was to "assist the 1994-95 [Social Security] Advisory Council with respect to its charge to analyze the relative roles of the public and private sectors in the provision of retirement income, particularly how underlying policies of public and private programs, including relevant tax laws, affect retirement decisions and the economic status of the elderly."

Current and Emerging Trends in Aging and Work, 2019

Older Americans on the cusp of retirement today face a very different retirement income landscape... more Older Americans on the cusp of retirement today face a very different retirement income landscape than prior generations faced, with a higher degree of exposure to market forces and a higher risk of financial insecurity later in life. This exposure and risk are due to a variety of interactions among demographic changes, the evolution of the traditional three pillars of retirement income (Social Security, private pensions, and savings), and market volatility. While these changes present some real causes for concern, the implications of societal aging depend in large part on how we respond to these challenges. The way older Americans have responded thus far is encouraging. Older Americans are remaining in the workforce later in life and have shown remarkable flexibility with respect to how they retire, often transitioning into bridge jobs and sometimes into entirely new lines of work. This chapter describes the challenges that societal aging presents and the ways in which older Americ...

Religions, 2017

In the search for effective measures to combat poverty, two government policies have been given m... more In the search for effective measures to combat poverty, two government policies have been given much attention. One is the establishment of a federal minimum wage to help workers secure a decent standard of living. The second measure is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which gives tax refunds to workers in households that fall below a set standard of income. Both policies have supporters and critics regarding the effectiveness of the policies. This essay provides an economic analysis of the two measures. Among the issues discussed are how the policies affect employment and poverty, and how well targeted they are at the population at risk.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 1997

American Psychologist, 2016

We have entered a new world of retirement income security in America, with older individuals more... more We have entered a new world of retirement income security in America, with older individuals more exposed to market risk and more vulnerable to financial insecurity than prior generations. This reflects an evolution that has altered the historical vision of a financially-secure retirement supported by Social Security, a defined-benefit pension plan, and individual savings. Today, two of these three retirement income sourcespensions and savingsare absent or of modest importance for many older Americans. Retirement income security now often requires earnings from continued work later in life, which exacerbates the economic vulnerability of certain segments of the population, including persons with disabilities, the oldest-old, single women, and individuals with intermittent work histories. Because of the unprecedented aging of our society, further changes to the retirement income landscape are inevitable, but policymakers do have options to help protect the financial stability of older Americans. We can begin by promoting savings at all (especially younger) ages and by removing barriers that discourage work later in life. For individuals already on the cusp of retirement, more needs to be done to educate the public about the value of delaying the receipt of Social Security benefits. Inaction now could mean a return to the days when old age and poverty were closely linked. The negative repercussions of this outcome would extend well beyond traditional economic measures, as physical and mental health outcomes are closely tied to financial security.

Oxford University Press eBooks, Oct 18, 2018

This paper describes the challenges and opportunities that older Americans face, with a focus on ... more This paper describes the challenges and opportunities that older Americans face, with a focus on retirement income security and the role of continued work later in life. We begin with an overview of the new world of retirement income security in America, including a discussion of how a low return environment (e.g., low interest rates) exacerbates existing retirement income security challenges. We then document how older Americans have responded to the evolving retirement income landscape, especially when and how they exit the labor force, and we explore how continued work later in life can help mitigate some of the anticipated retirement security challenges. We then pose some important outstanding questions. The implications of societal aging depend in large part on how we harness or squander the labor resources of older Americans.

Religions, Apr 17, 2017

In the search for effective measures to combat poverty, two government policies have been given m... more In the search for effective measures to combat poverty, two government policies have been given much attention. One is the establishment of a federal minimum wage to help workers secure a decent standard of living. The second measure is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which gives tax refunds to workers in households that fall below a set standard of income. Both policies have supporters and critics regarding the effectiveness of the policies. This essay provides an economic analysis of the two measures. Among the issues discussed are how the policies affect employment and poverty, and how well targeted they are at the population at risk.

Work, Aging and Retirement, May 19, 2018

Considerable prior research has shown that most older Americans with career employment transition... more Considerable prior research has shown that most older Americans with career employment transition to bridge jobs before exiting the labor force. One criticism of this research is that bridge job activity may be overstated because the definition of a bridge job in the existing literature does not require a change in occupation. For some, the "bridge job" may just be another in a series of job changes, and not a prelude to retirement. This article investigates the extent to which bridge jobs involve a change in occupation or a switch to part-time status, both of which may signal the start of a retirement transition, as opposed to continued career employment, albeit with a different employer. We utilize the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal dataset of older Americans that began in 1992. Among HRS respondents who were on a full-time career job at the time of the first interview and who changed jobs in subsequent waves, 48% of the men and 39% of the women also changed their (two-digit) occupation at the time of their first transition. Further, when hours worked is also considered, about 3 quarters of men and women experienced a change in occupation and/or a switch from full-time to part-time status. We conclude that most career workers who changed jobs later in life did in fact do so as part of a retirement transition. Ignoring these subtleties does result in an overestimate of bridge job activity, but only a modest one.

Innovation in Aging, Dec 1, 2021

Oral healthcare for the aging was severely disrupted during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2... more Oral healthcare for the aging was severely disrupted during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 . Transformative changes in care delivery involved teledentistry, mobile/portable dentistry, minimally invasive dentistry, aerosol minimization, and interprofessional oral care. Management of chronic oral health problems evolved through periods of limited to no access to daily and professional oral healthcare. Access to care has been influenced by availability of the oral care workforce, variability in long term care policy, and the lack of funding to cover medically necessary services delivered via asynchronous telehealth technologies. Impacts were identified six and twelve months into the pandemic. These will be compared to the state of oral healthcare for the aging 18 months from the start of the pandemic. The impact of vaccination on access to care will be explored. Variability between states (Idaho/Michigan/ Minnesota/Rhode Island) will be addressed. Directions of new and needed research opportunities will be discussed.

Social Science Research Network, 2014

To what extent does hours flexibility in career employment impact the retirement process? Workpla... more To what extent does hours flexibility in career employment impact the retirement process? Workplace flexibility policies have the potential to improve both the welfare of employees and the business outcomes of employers. These policies, and hours flexibility in particular for older Americans, have also been touted as a way to reduce turnover. For older Americans, reductions in turnover could mean more years in career employment, fewer years in bridge employment, and little or no impact on the timing of retirement. Alternatively, hours flexibility in career employment could lead to longer working lives and delayed retirements. The distinction between the two outcomes is important if hours flexibility policies, such as phased retirement, are to be considered an option for alleviating the strains of an aging society. This paper describes how hours flexibility in career employment impacts the retirement patterns of older Americans. We use data on three cohorts of older Americans from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a large nationally-representative dataset that began in 1992. We explore the extent to which hours flexibility arrangements are available and utilized in career employment and explore the extent to which such arrangements impact job transitions later in life. We find that bridge job prevalence is higher among those with access to hours flexibility in career employment compared to those without hours flexibility. Further, while we find mixed evidence that hours flexibility extends time in career employment, we do find that hours flexibility in career employment is associated with longer tenure on bridge jobs. Taken together these results suggest that hours flexibility in career employment is associated with extended work lives, particularly in post-career employment.

Journal of Pension Economics & Finance, Feb 11, 2019

Do the retirement patterns of public-sector workers differ from those in the private sector? Most... more Do the retirement patterns of public-sector workers differ from those in the private sector? Most private-sector workers today face a do-it-yourself retirement income landscape characterized by an exposure to market forces through defined-contribution pension plans and private saving, and the risk of financial insecurity later in life. Public-sector workers, in contrast, are typically covered by defined-benefit pension plans that both encourage retirement at relatively young ages and offer financial security at older ages. As a result, the consequences of private-and publicsector workers' retirement decisions could differ in important ways.

Routledge eBooks, Jul 23, 2019

The Economics of Aging, 1985

was made possible by the contributions of many individuals and institutions. We are extremely ple... more was made possible by the contributions of many individuals and institutions. We are extremely pleased to have the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employ ment Research and the College of Health and Human Services and the College of Arts and Sciences as co-sponsors of the series. In addition, the series benefitted significantly from the contribution of the Seminar Com mittee composed of Professors Phillip Caruso, Sisay Asefa and Michael Payne of the Department of Economics. Finally, we owe thanks to Ms. Becky Ryder and Bonnie Kuminski of the secretarial staff of the Depart ment of Economics for keeping the seminar on track.

Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 1991

The Gerontologist, 1996

We used the first wave of the new Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to document the importance of... more We used the first wave of the new Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to document the importance of transitional stages-bridge jobs-between career employment and complete labor force withdrawal in the early 1990s. We describe the labor force status of a sample of about 9,500 older Americans with some work experience after age 49, and the transition patterns of those for whom we can identify a career job. We observe significant bridge job activity, including part-time work and movement between self-employment and wage-and-salary jobs. Subsequent waves of the HRS will permit researchers to follow this large sample through the labor force withdrawal process and to analyze the determinants and consequences of alternative retirement routes.

To be effective, policy makers must try to anticipate future crises and develop plans to deal wit... more To be effective, policy makers must try to anticipate future crises and develop plans to deal with them. In this paper, I would like to describe a potential crisis I see coming and make some suggestions about what we as a society might do about it. The potential crisis is the retirement of the baby boomerspeople like me. Few phenomena have presented a greater continuing challenge to America than the aging of my generation. We have been making waves since we arrived 30 to 45 years ago. In the 1950s, we created shortages of maternity beds and four-bedroom houses. In the 1960s, we forced massive investment in educational facilities as we moved through primary and secondary school, and painful contractions in the 1980s as we moved out. In the 1970s and 1980s, as we joined the labor force in great numbers, we tested the economy's ability to create jobs and maintain full employment. In the 90s, we are clogging promotional ladders, and early next century, we will contemplate leaving the labor force. The decisions we make about when and how to stop work will have major implications for the size and composition of the labor force, the financial well-being of public and private retirement plans (Social Security and employer pensions), as well as the personal well-being of the individuals involved. in this paper, I will outline recent and projected aging and retirement trends in America. I will then discuss why people retire when they do, with an emphasis on the financial incentives that have been built into many of our public and private retirement systems. I will then turn to some recent research on the plans and preferences of older Americans. Are older Americans willing and able to work? If so, why are more not doing so? Finally, I will address the role of public policy, both past and future, in influencing these retirement trends.

Gerontologist, Dec 7, 2013

Purpose of the Study: Older Americans contemplating retirement today face a very different econom... more Purpose of the Study: Older Americans contemplating retirement today face a very different economic environment than prior cohorts did. This article examines whether the retirement patterns of older Americans have changed as a result. Design and Methods: Using data from 10 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we examine the prevalence of bridge jobs, phased retirement, and labor market reentry among 3 recent cohorts of older Americans, from 1992 through 2010. Determinants of retirement transitions are examined using bivariate comparisons and multivariate logistic and multinomial logistic regression models. Results: We find that traditional one-time, permanent exits from the labor force continue to be the exception rather than the rule and that the retirement patterns of the Early Boomers, those on the cusp of retirement during the recent Great Recession, appear to be diverging from those of earlier cohorts. The Early Boomer women, in particular, were more likely than those in previous cohorts, the HRS Core and the HRS War Babies, to move to a bridge job prior to exiting the labor force completely and both Early Boomer men and women were more likely to leave their career jobs involuntarily, with layoffs being a key factor. The "do-it-yourself" approach to retirement planning-with individuals managing a large portion of their retirement finances-is now common among older Americans. This change in the retirement environment, combined with a significant and persistent cyclical downturn, may have long-lasting effects and suggests that the concept of retirement in the United States will continue to evolve.

The charge of the Technical Panel on Trends and Issues in Retirement Savings (TIRS) was to "... more The charge of the Technical Panel on Trends and Issues in Retirement Savings (TIRS) was to "assist the 1994-95 [Social Security] Advisory Council with respect to its charge to analyze the relative roles of the public and private sectors in the provision of retirement income, particularly how underlying policies of public and private programs, including relevant tax laws, affect retirement decisions and the economic status of the elderly."

Current and Emerging Trends in Aging and Work, 2019

Older Americans on the cusp of retirement today face a very different retirement income landscape... more Older Americans on the cusp of retirement today face a very different retirement income landscape than prior generations faced, with a higher degree of exposure to market forces and a higher risk of financial insecurity later in life. This exposure and risk are due to a variety of interactions among demographic changes, the evolution of the traditional three pillars of retirement income (Social Security, private pensions, and savings), and market volatility. While these changes present some real causes for concern, the implications of societal aging depend in large part on how we respond to these challenges. The way older Americans have responded thus far is encouraging. Older Americans are remaining in the workforce later in life and have shown remarkable flexibility with respect to how they retire, often transitioning into bridge jobs and sometimes into entirely new lines of work. This chapter describes the challenges that societal aging presents and the ways in which older Americ...

Religions, 2017

In the search for effective measures to combat poverty, two government policies have been given m... more In the search for effective measures to combat poverty, two government policies have been given much attention. One is the establishment of a federal minimum wage to help workers secure a decent standard of living. The second measure is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which gives tax refunds to workers in households that fall below a set standard of income. Both policies have supporters and critics regarding the effectiveness of the policies. This essay provides an economic analysis of the two measures. Among the issues discussed are how the policies affect employment and poverty, and how well targeted they are at the population at risk.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 1997