Workers have experienced major changes in pension coverage in the last twenty years. Technological changes has not only fueled economic growth but also raised earnings of skilled workers relative to unskilled workers, and it may have similarly influenced pensions and their long-term incentives. In particular, the use of pensions to encourage long-term employment may have changed, perhaps because the value of worker mobility has risen. This may explain the increasing use of defined contribution pensions. This research examined the extent to which changes in pension structure are rooted in changes in production and employment arising from the diffusion of new technologies. As a result of this research, the following two papers were produced:
Not Your Father's Pension Plan: The Rise of 401(k) and Other Defined Contribution Plans
and
Explaining the Evolution of Pension Structure and Job Tenure
