Archive: Alicia H. Munnell
With the projected depletion of the Social Security trust fund assets in the 2030s, policymakers are looking for ways to bridge the gap. One of the major proposals is to increase the retirement age. Certainly, with average life expectancy increasing, longer careers could be one way to ensure an adequate retirement with less reliance on…
The rising cost of employer contributions to employer-sponsored health insurance (ESHI) can slow wage growth and erode the Social Security wage base. Both these effects were evident in the decades before 2005, as ESHI increased as a share of compensation. Fortunately, the ratio of ESHI contributions to compensation plateaued after 2005, stabilizing wages and halting…
