December 2025

The working life course of aging LGBTQ workers: An intersectional perspective and a theoretical framework

By Raphael Epper-Hattab & Bryndís D Steindórsdóttir  Aging LGBTQ workers represent a unique and diverse population of workers who have struggled with homophobic and transphobic social constructions and a prolonged invalidation of their identities, stemming from periods when social exclusion and discrimination dominated their lives. These challenges have imposed multifaceted marginalization not only on their life patterns but also on their occupational trajectories and interpersonal relationships at work. Against this backdrop, drawing attention to characteristics of the occupational careers of...

November 2025

The Cost of Waiting for Nationality: Impact on Immigrant’s Labor Market Outcomes in Spain

By Yanina Domenella In this paper, I examine the impact of administrative delays in obtaining Spanish nationality on the long-term labor market outcomes of legal immigrants. Using Social Security data from 2006 to 2019 and an instrumental variable strategy, I find that longer delays in nationality acquisition result in significantly lower accumulated earnings over a ten-year period, driven by both lower wages and fewer days worked. Specifically, one additional year of delay reduces accumulated earnings over 10 years by 3.8...

Pensions: an urgent call

For most Latin Americans, the most effective way to ensure an income in old age is through pension systems. They work differently in each country, but for the average citizen they represent their main source of livelihood in the last stage of their life. However, despite their importance, most people do not know how they work, or because of their design, many of them are at risk of not being sustainable in the long term. "Saving is a very difficult thing....

EU. Commission proposes to boost supplementary pensions to help ensure adequate retirement income

The European Commission has today adopted a package of measures to help citizens secure adequate income in retirement by improving access to better and more effective supplementary pensions. The proposed actions aim to complement - not replace - public pensions, which are the foundation of pension systems in all Member States. Today's package forms part of the Commission's Savings and Investments Union (SIU) Strategy which seeks to create more opportunities for households to build their wealth through capital markets, while...

Retirement reality: Managing money in mid-retirement

By Aviva People in their mid-70s overwhelmingly report that they want the security of an income for life, yet very few are confident that their savings will last. Many underestimate how long they need to budget for and tend not to engage with ongoing planning as they age. Modelling shows the risks of remaining in drawdown and the benefits of Flex First, Fix Later solutions that include later-life annuitisation as a way of addressing these challenges. Such an approach would...

October 2025

Ghana. Gov’t urged to raise salaries and extend retirement age to 65

“Someone is receiving as high as GH₵140,000 monthly pension, while others get as little as GH₵400. For such people, nothing will change even in 200 years if they were to live that long, because their salaries were too low and they didn’t adequately plan for retirement,” he lamented. He explained that improving public sector salaries would not only ensure a decent standard of living for workers but also guarantee better pension benefits after retirement. Dr. Sefa Twum also proposed that Ghana’s...

Latest Retirement Living Standards show costs for Minimum retiree needs have fallen, while Moderate and Comfortable Standards see modest rises

By Pensions UK The latest update of the PLSA's Retirement Living Standards (RLS) shows a decrease in the cost of the Minimum retirement lifestyle, down to £21,600 per year for a two-person household, due to the impact of lower energy prices and changes in the public's expectations for this standard. Meanwhile, the Moderate and Comfortable standards have risen modestly, reflecting the impact of inflation across many expenditure categories offset by decreases in energy costs. This year, the cost of a Minimum Retirement...

Koreans’ life expectancy has exceeded 83 years, but their retirement age is still in their mid to late 50s

Koreans' life expectancy has exceeded 83 years, but their retirement age is still in their mid to late 50s. As of 2025, the average monthly receipt of the national pension is only about 670,000 won. In other words, it is not enough to prepare the necessary funds for the retirement period, which lasts more than 20 years on average. In addition, if the national pension is not received early, it can be received from the age of 63 to 65,...

US. Public Pensions Are Closing Talent Gaps, Survey Reveals

After years of fierce competition for top talent, public pension funds are seeing positive momentum for recruitment and retention, even as salary growth stabilizes. The 2025 Public Pension Compensation Survey conducted by CBIZ and NCPERS reveals that 57% of public pension funds now report no issues attracting or retaining skilled staff, an increase of nearly 20% since 2022. “The public pension sector’s recent workforce stabilization suggests that intentional compensation planning, enhanced benefits, and flexible work models are proving just as powerful as...

Germany greenlights €2,000 tax-free earnings for pensioners

Germany will introduce an “active pension” from 1 January 2026 that lets people who choose to work past the statutory retirement age earn up to €2,000 per month tax-free. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas framed the Aktivrente as a straightforward incentive intended to keep experienced workers in the labour market. Asked about the centre-right Union’s proposal for a tax-free top-up, Bas said “anyone who voluntarily wants to work longer needs attractive conditions”. She added that the government would lift the ban on prior employment, which...