Reforming Early Retirement in Europe, Japan and the USA

Since the 1970s early exit from work has become a major challenge in modern welfare states. Governments, employers, and unions alike once thought of early retirement as a peaceful solution to the economic problems of mass unemployment and industrial restructuring. Today governments and international organizations advocate the postponement of retirement and an increase in activity among older workers. Comparing the USA, eight European countries, and Japan, this book demonstratessignificant cross-national differences in early retirement across countries and over time. The study evaluates the imp.  Read more... List of Figures; List of Tables; Abbreviations; PART I: Exploring interests and institutions; Chapter 1 Introduction: The paradox of early exit from work; Chapter 2 Actor constellations and interest coalitions: Labor, employers, and the state; Chapter 3 Protection, production, and partnership institutions: From institutional affinities to complementarities; PART II: Comparing early exit regimes; Chapter 4 Ever earlier retirement: Comparing employment trajectories; Chapter 5 The protection-pull factors: Multiple pathways to early exit. Chapter 6 The production-push factors: The political economy of labor sheddingPART III: Reform obstacles and opportunities; Chapter 7 Exit from early retirement: Paradigm shifts, policy reversals, and reform obstacles; Chapter 8 Conclusion: From path dependence to path departure?; Appendix Note; References; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; R; S; T; U; V; W; Y; Z