Cohort changes in the retirement resources of older women

Dramatic changes in life expectancy, women's roles in the labor market, the structure of the workforce, and pension systems have occurred in recent decades, all influencing the wellbeing of future retirees. This article uses different sources of U.S. data to focus on the retirement resources of women aged 55-64. By comparing the resources for this age group in 2004 to their counterparts in 1994 and 1984, this analysis provides some indication of changes in the retirement preparedness of three different cohorts of women. Our findings indicate that notable changes have occurred with women's pathways into retirement that are due to increased education and lifetime work experience. As a consequence, there are marked differences in potential retirement outcomes. We find that women aged 55-64 today are better prepared in several respects than their counterparts of the same age 10 or 20 years ago.