2023
UM23-13: The Enduring Impacts of COVID-19 on Americans’ Economic and Retirement Security
This project builds on our previous work by using newly collected data to examine how Americans’ economic and retirement security have changed during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis will examine (1) how the long duration…
UM23-14: The Lifetime Earnings Effects of the Social Security Student Benefit
In 1981, Congress voted to eliminate the “student benefit” of Social Security, which allowed for the continuation of child benefits past the age of 18 for those enrolled in schooling full-time. We compare the lifetime earnings of eligible children who…
UM23-15: Equity Implications of the Rising Full Retirement Age and Social Security Communications: An Analysis of Past and Future Disparities in the Economic Security of Retirees
The Social Security Amendments of 1983 raised the Full Retirement Age (FRA), the age at which claimants receive an unreduced monthly benefit, from 65 to 67. However, this change was set to be gradually implemented, with the first increase from…
UM23-16: Saving Regret in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, saving regret — defined as the wish to have saved more and spent less earlier in life — was reported by 58% of the older U.S. population. And, the reports were strongly related to the…
UM23-17: The House: Is it an Asset or a Liability?
This project will investigate rising housing debt and the capacity to sustain post-retirement consumption. Housing debt may leave many households, especially women, minorities, and households with low socioeconomic status, with inadequate retirement resources.
UM23-18: The Impact of Affordable and Accessible Broadband on SSDI and SSI Receipt
We propose to causally estimate how SSI and SSDI receipt responded to a national program providing affordable broadband, access to discounted computer equipment, and digital literacy resources to low-income families. We will do so with geographic data on program availability…
UM23-19: Job Demands, Time Use, and the Timing of Retirement
A large body of research examines the role of job demands in determining the timing of retirement, with mixed findings. However, this research does not account for the potential sorting of individuals into jobs with different demands and examines work…
UM23-20: Enhancing the RAND HRS CAMS Public Use File
In 2001 the Health and Retirement Study launched a supplementary survey, the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS). CAMS is a biennial survey of a random subsample of HRS participants. Its purpose is to collect detailed information on household spending.…
UM23-21: Geographic Variation in Social Security Disability Insurance Beneficiaries’ Mortality Rates
This project aims to document and understand how SSDI beneficiaries’ mortality rates vary across counties and states, both in absolute terms and relative to nonbeneficiaries in their communities. In addition to describing the geographic dispersion in mortality, we will document…
UM23-Q1: RAND HRS Poverty Measures for HRS 1994
The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is the primary data set in the U.S. for the study of the well-being of the older population. A common indicator of material hardship used in research and in the administration of various government…