Sex-specific equivalent retirement ages: 1940-2050

This article presents four measures of equivalent retirement ages to be considered when analyzing retirement age issues. Insofar as previous research reveals significant sex differences in life expectancy at the older ages, the analysis here extends the question of equity when increased retirement age is considered by examining each measure separately for men and for women. The measures are applied to data from 1940 to 2050. In the first two measures, all improvements in life expectancy at retirement are assigned to the labor force ages; in the second two measures, increases in life expectancy are shared between expected time in the labor force and expected time in retirement. In each case, the increase in life expectancy at retirement was measured both as the expected years in retirement among those surviving to retirement and as the expected years in retirement among all persons entering the labor force. The findings have different implications in terms of equity when an increased retirement age is considered. The article concludes that although it may not be appropriate to establish separate retirement age schedules for men and women, an awareness of existing life expectancy differences between the sexes should help in selecting a middle-range choice.