Why labor shortages aren't going anywhere

Aug 31, 2023
With the acceleration of baby boomer retirements, multiple sectors face long-term challenges finding enough workers to meet demand.
Pandemic disruptions and baby boomer retirements have created a mismatch between labor supply and demand. That has boosted worker pay, but employers might respond by investing more in automation.
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401(k) balances are rising, but most savers still won't have enough for retirement

Aug 18, 2023
The average 401(k) balance is a tenth of what a middle-class person would need to maintain their lifestyle, one expert says.
Marketplace's senior economics contributor details findings from a new report that ranks global retirement systems.
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By 2050, demographic shifts could mean a very different global economy

Aug 10, 2023
Today, nearly a third of Japan's population is over the age of 65. Compared to how much wealthy nations' populations will age in the coming decades though, Japan "is only the tip of the iceberg" says New York Times journalist Lauren Leatherby.
Wealthy economies like those in Europe and East Asia are going to be facing a much smaller working-age population within the next few decades.
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Pay off student loans, or save for retirement? Both.

A new law set to go into effect next year would allow you to double your money when you pay student loans.
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What’s the deal with catch-up provisions and retirement?

The details on this savings tactic and how it’s changing in 2024.
According to a study by Vanguard, only 16% of people near retirement took advantage of the catch-up provision.
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How to prepare for the care economy

A new book lays out how to align finances and personal goals so you can enjoy aging.
M.T. Connolly's new book, "The Measure of Our Age," explores how to ensure financial security and emotional wellbeing as we age.
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Social Security has funding problems. How do we fix it before benefits are cut?

Jun 12, 2023
The trust fund supplementing income taxes could run dry within 10 years. Dennis Jansen of Texas A&M suggests reforms.
About 67 million Americans receive Social Security income.
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For public good, not for profit.

People over 55 are more glum about the economy, consumer survey says

May 30, 2023
People in that age group have less time left to earn or save money for retirement and have had more time to accrue debt.
In some ways, how you feel about the economy in your 60s and 70s depends on how things went in earlier decades. 
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Turkey’s retirees feel inflation’s pressures ahead of second-round election 

May 25, 2023
In 2021, the Istanbul Political Research Institute found that 12% of Turks over 65 were still working, in part because pensions are not adequate.
People sit at a tea house in Sincan, a district outside of Ankara’s city center where a majority of voters supported President Erdogan in the first-round of elections on May 14.
Victoria Craig

The economic — and political — consequences of reforming France's pensions

Mar 30, 2023
More than a million people have taken to the streets across France since President Emmanuel Macron forced through legislation raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Protesters take part in a students' demonstration against the French government's pension reforms.
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