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Probing the Future of Mandatory Retirement in Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Peter Ibbott ,
Don Kerr  and
Roderic Beaujot
Peter Ibbott*
Affiliation:
University of Western Ontario
Don Kerr
Affiliation:
University of Western Ontario
Roderic Beaujot
Affiliation:
University of Western Ontario
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être addressées à : Dr. Peter Ibbott, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, King's University College at the University of Western Ontario, 266 Epworth Avenue, London, ON N6A 2M3. (pibbott@uwo.ca)
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Abstract

The future of mandatory retirement is at least partly driven by changing demographics. In Canada, these demographics include slowing population growth, rapid aging, declining rates of labour force participation, and slowing labour force growth. After reviewing the demographic trends and considering alternate scenarios in labour force participation, we consider the determinants of early departures from the labour force and suggest scenarios that might reverse these trends. With a decline in labour force entrants, delays in early life transitions, and possible reductions in retirement benefits, a trend to retire later would bring mandatory retirement into question.

Résumé

L'avenir de la retraite obligatoire est au moins en partie motivé par une démographie en constante évolution. Au Canada, les données démographiques indiquent une baisse de croissance de la population, un vieillissement rapide, une baisse du taux de participation à la population active et une croissance ralentie de celle-ci. Après avoir passé en revue les tendances démographiques et analysé des scénarios alternatifs pour ce qui est de la participation à la population active, nous nous penchons sur les facteurs qui déterminent la retraite anticipée, et nous suggérons des stratégies susceptibles d'inverser cette tendance. Puisque le nombre de nouveaux travailleurs est en constante diminution, que les transitions de vie surviennent de plus en plus tard et que les indemnités de retraite risquent de diminuer, une tendance à retarder l'âge de la retraite inciterait à remettre en question l'idée même de retraite obligatoire.

Keywords

agingpopulation agingmandatory retirementlabour force growthretirement policyvieillissementvieillissement de la populationretraite obligatoirepopulation activepolitiques de retraite
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , Summer/Été 2006 , pp. 161 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2006

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