Redistributing Work in Aging Europe
James W. Vaupel and
Elke Loichinger
As Europe ages, the proportion of people who work will decline unless older individuals remain in the labor force. Such reform could be part of a more general redistribution of work. If a greater share of the population worked, then the average number of hours worked per week could be reduced. This could particularly help younger people and increase Europe's low birth rates. The challenges facing Germany, Europe's most populous country, are highlighted, but statistics are also given for five other European countries and, for comparison, the United States. Social science research is needed to provide policy-relevant knowledge about life-course options.
Rostocker Zentrum for the Study of Demographic Change and Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, D-18057 Rostock, Germany, and Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
E-mail: jwv{at}demogr.mpg.de
