Towards Improved Retirement Savings Outcomes for Women
Labour market inequalities are well-known to be the main drivers of the gender pension gap. This publication focuses on helping governments find solutions for retirement savings arrangements that do not further exacerbate these inequalities. This study first analyses why the gender pension gap exists and sheds light on some of the behavioural and cultural factors that contribute to these inequalities. Country case studies assess how demographics, labour markets and other factors may affect gaps in pension coverage, assets and entitlements. The study then explores how the design of retirement savings plans affects men and women differently. Finally, it provides policy options to improve retirement savings outcomes for women and to help close the gender pension gap.
What drives the gender pension gap? Case studies from the United States, Germany and Finland
There is a well-documented gap in retirement income between men and women. Women generally receive less than men from retirement savings arrangements in part because they tend to have earned less and have had shorter careers than men. But a key question is whether these are the only factors that explain the gender pension gap. This chapter uses case studies of three OECD countries to explore which factors drive the gender gap in pension coverage, assets and entitlements in retirement savings arrangements for working-age people, to determine what aspects of pension policy design might explain the gender gap in pensions.
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