Richard W. Johnson
Senior Research Associate
The Urban Institute
Background
Richard Johnson, a principal research associate at the Urban Institute, is an economist specializing in health and income security at older ages. He has written about older Americans’ employment, the financial and health risks people face as they approach retirement, the work incentives created by the tax and transfer system, and the impact of retiree health insurance, caregiving demands, and spousal disability on retirement decisions. Dr. Johnson also studies employer-sponsored pensions, including gender differences in pension wealth, 401(k) plan contributions over the lifecourse, pension payout decisions by retirees, and the potential impact of cash balance plans on the distribution of retirement outcomes. His health-related research focuses on the demand for private long-term care insurance and the likely evolution of paid long-term care services over the next 40 years.
Dr. Johnson earned his A.B. from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Research Projects for the Center for Retirement Research
Completed
"Do Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs Delay Retirement?" (with Rudolph G. Penner and Desmond Toohey), Working Paper, #2008-4, February 2008.
"The Impact of Late-Career Health and Employment Shocks on Social Security and Other Wealth" (with Gordon B.T. Mermin and Dan Murphy), Working Paper, #2007-26, December 2007.
"Health Care Costs, Taxes, and the Retirement Decision: Conceptual Issues and Illustrative Simulation" (with Rudolph G. Penner ), Working Paper, WP#2006-20, November 2006.
"What Happens to Health Benefits After Retirement?" Work Opportunities Brief, #7, February 2007.
"Job Changes at Older Ages: Effects on Wages, Benefits and Other Job Attributes" (with Janette Kawachi), Working Paper, #2007-4, February 2007.
"What Happens to Health Benefits After Retirement?" Work Opportunities for Older Americans Issue in Brief, #7, February 2007.
"Health Care Costs, Taxes, and the Retirement Decision: Conceptual Issues and Illustrative Simulations" (with Rudolph G. Penner), Working Paper, #2006-20, November 2006.
"Why Do Boomers Plan to Work So Long?" (with Gordon B.T. Mermin and Dan Murphy), Working Paper, #2006-19, November 2006.
"How Secure Are Retirement Nest Eggs?" (with Gordon B.T. Mermin and Cori E. Uccello), Issue in Brief, #45, April 2006.
"Is Private Long-Term Care Insurance the Answer?" (with Cori E. Uccello), Issue in Brief, #29, March 2005.
"Understanding Expenditure Patterns in Retirement" (with Barbara A. Butrica, and Joshua H. Goldwyn), Working Paper, #2005-03, January 2005.
"Does Work Pay at Older Ages?" (with Barbara A. Butrica, Karen E. Smith and Eugene Steuerle), Working Paper, #2004-30, November 2004.
"Deferring Income in Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans: The Dynamics of Participant Contributions" (with Karen E. Smith and Leslie A. Muller), Working Paper, #2004-20, August 2004.
"How Closely Do Spouses Coordinate Their Retirement Decisions?" Issue in Brief, #19, June 2004.
"Employment, Social Security, and Future Retirement Outcomes for Single Mothers" (with Melissa M. Favreault and Joshua H. Goldwyn), Working Paper, #2003-14, July 2003.
"Medicare, Retirement Costs, and Labor Supply at Older Ages" Working Paper, #2002-08, December 2002.
"Retiring Together or Working Alone: The Impact of Spousal Employment and Disability on Retirement Decisions" (with Melissa M. Favreault), Working Paper, #2001-01, March 2001.
Selected Publications
- Johnson, Richard W., and Anthony T. Lo Sasso. 2006. “The Impact of Elder Care on Women’s Labor Supply at Midlife.” Inquiry 43(3).
- Johnson, Richard W., and Joshua M. Wiener. 2006. A Profile of Frail Older Americans and Their Caregivers. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute.
- Johnson, Richard W., Amy J. Davidoff, and Kevin Perese. 2003. “Health Insurance Costs and Early Retirement Decisions.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 56(4): 716-729.
Links