Women's and Men's Retirement Income Status: Early Family Role Effects

The effects of work history and early family roles on prospective economic (income) status at retirement are examined using the Earnings Records and Longitudinal Retirement History Study of the Social Security Administration. Regression analyses show that early family roles have greater direct and indirect effects on women's preretirement economic status than on men's. These effects present themselves as costs to women in retirement dollars. Sex differences are especially evident when observing the intervening effects of assets (net worth) and estimated retirement incomes from private and government pensions.