Incentive Schemes to Delay Retirement and the Equilibrium Interplay with Human Capital Investment

This article introduces the role of labor demand of the elderly in the analysis of retirement decisions. We integrate both human capital formation and up-dating costs on older workers' job and explore how Social Security system affects human capital investment and retirement decisions. We show that, from the worker''s point of view, human capital investment and retirement age decisions are interdependent and positively related. On the one hand, an actuarially unfair pay-as-you-go system imposes a tax on postponed retirement which encourages early retirement, thus reducing incentives to invest in human capital. On the other hand, the pension system imposes a tax on training intensity. As a result, workers have less incentives to continue working. From the firm''s point of view, this implies an indirect tax on labor demand due to the decrease in older workers'' productivity. We then examine the pattern of the optimal policies according to flexibility versus rigidity of wages.

Voluntary and involuntary retirement decision : does real wage rigidity affects the effectiveness of pension reforms ?

In this paper, we integrate the retirement deadline taking into account both labor demand and labor supply specificities. This approach reveals that firms' employment decisions play an active role in the early retirement decision. We show that, in a walrasian economy, social security reforms aimed at delaying the retirement age by introducing actuarially fair adjustments are particularly powerful to stimulate the employment of older workers. However, if real wages are rigid, two situations must be distinguished. First, if the wage is lower than its walrasian value, the separation date is determined by workers, fair adjustments would push back the retirement age. In contrast, when the wage exceeds its walrasian rate, the separation date is determined by firms. Trying to increase the rate of employment of older workers by introducing pension incentives seems to be an unattainable goal. Therefore, there is a good reason for focusing primarily on labor demand. In this case, it appears that paying a subsidy to firms is the best policy for attaining the optimal retirement age.Retirement age, Human capital investment, Real wage rigidity, Labor market reform

Job Creation, Job Destruction and the Life Cycle

This paper originally incorporates life-cycle features into the job creation - job destruction framework. Once a finite horizon is introduced, this workhorse labor market model naturally delivers the empirically uncontroversial prediction that the employment rate of workers decreases with age due to lower hirings and higher firings of older workers. This age profile of hirings and firings is in addition found to be optimal in a competitive search equilibrium context. If search externalities are not internalized and unemployment benefits distort equilibrium, there is a room for labor market policy differentiated by age. This lastly allows us to debate the incidence of labor demand policies which have been introduced in many countries to favor the older worker employment. We show that hiring subsidies and firing costs should be decreasing with age when unemployment benefits are sufficiently high, as in the Europe. On the contrary, if unemployment benefits are low, as in the US, optimal hiring subsidies and firing taxes should be increasing with age. In this latter case, the introduction of anti-discrimination laws is a good proxy of this first best policy.Job creations and destructions, Life cycle, Older workers

Returns to firm-provided training in France: Evidence on mobility and wages

Returns to training, matching estimators, labour market mobility, wages, France

Nonlinear magneto-optical rotation of frequency-modulated light resonant with a low-J transition

A low-light-power theory of nonlinear magneto-optical rotation of frequency-modulated light resonant with a J=1->J'=0 transition is presented. The theory is developed for a Doppler-free transition, and then modified to account for Doppler broadening and velocity mixing due to collisions. The results of the theory are shown to be in qualitative agreement with experimental data obtained for the rubidium D1 line.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, v.2 edited for clarit

Food insecurity of smallholder farming systems in B72A catchment in the Olifants River Basin, South Africa

Traditional smallholder farming systems are characterized by low yields and high risks of crop failure and food insecurity. Through a biophysical model, PARCHED-THIRST and a socio-economic farming systems simulation model, OLYMPE, we evaluated the performance of farming practices based on maize yield, gross margin and total family balance over a 10-year period in semi-arid Olifants River Basin of South Africa. Farm profitability under scenarios of different maize productions, maize grain and fertiliser price variations were explored for the identified farming systems. Farm types (A to E) were identified from farm surveys, and validated with farmers and extension officers. The order of vulnerability to severe droughts and food insecurity, starting with the most vulnerable is farm Type B, C, D, A and E. Severe drought or flood shock resulted in highest farm gross margin and total family balance reductions, partly due to loss of production for family consumption. Labour returns ranged from US$62/capita.year for crop-based farm types to US$ 363/capita.year for livestock-based farm Type E. Results revealed that livestock and crop diversification are most proficient strategies to ensure stable income and food security for smallholder farmers. Thus, smallholder farming technology innovations and policies should engage in solutions to poor yields and livestock farming

Experiencia del hermano saludable en relación a la enfermedad y hospitalización del hermano concáncer

OBJECTIVE: To understand the meaning of the experience of having a sibling with cancer from the perspective of healthy brother. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative research approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five siblings of children with cancer who were receiving care in a philanthropic institution located in São Paulo. RESULTS: The central theme that emerged was suffering as it was revealed that the healthy brother became mature because of the suffering that is imposed in the course of events. They valued family and small acts of daily life that are often undetected. CONCLUSION: The health care team must recognize the experience of the brother and include it in the care provided at all stages of the disease.OBJETIVO: Comprender el significado de la experiencia de tener un hermano con cáncer en la perspectiva del hermano saludable. MÉTODOS: Investigación descriptiva de abordaje cualitativo. Fueron realizadas entrevistas semiestructuradas con cinco hermanos de niños con cáncer asistidos en una institución filantrópica localizada en el Municipio de São Paulo. RESULTADOS: El tema central tornándose maduro con el sufrimiento permitió revelar que el hermano saludable madura en razón del sufrimiento que le es impuesto en el transcurso de los acontecimientos. Pasa a valorizar la convivencia familiar y los pequeños actos del cotidiano que le eran desapercibidos. CONCLUSIÓN: El equipo de salud necesita reconocer la experiencia del hermano e incluirlo en el cuidado prestado en todas las fases de la enfermedad.OBJETIVO: Compreender o significado da experiência de ter um irmão com câncer na perspectiva do irmão sadio. MÉTODOS: Pesquisa descritiva de abordagem qualitativa. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com cinco irmãos de crianças com câncer assistidas em instituição filantrópica localizada no Município de São Paulo. RESULTADOS: O tema central tornando-se amadurecido com o sofrimento permitiu revelar que o irmão sadio torna-se amadurecido em razão do sofrimento que lhe é imposto no decorrer dos acontecimentos. Passa a valorizar a convivência familiar e os pequenos atos do cotidiano que lhe eram despercebidos. CONCLUSÃO: A equipe de saúde precisa reconhecer a experiência do irmão e incluí-lo no cuidado prestado em todas as fases da doença.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Dynamic effects in nonlinear magneto-optics of atoms and molecules

A brief review is given of topics relating to dynamical processes arising in nonlinear interactions between light and resonant systems (atoms or molecules) in the presence of a magnetic field.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure

GUILHERME, Alexandre Anselmo; MORGAN, W. John. Philosophy, dialogue, and education. Nine Modern European Philosophers [Filosofia, diálogo e educação: nove filósofos europeus modernos]. London: Routledge, 2018. 190 p.

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