Transitions into retirement: analyses using the Microcensus panel

The project focuses on analyses of the transition from employment to retirement in Germany. It examines how the institutional conditions of the old-age pension system and the labour market are linked to the behaviour of individuals and households regarding their labour supply. Particular emphasis is placed on aspects that, despite many years of research into transitions to retirement, have so far remained gaps in the research. These include transitions to retirement among people with a migration background, transitions to retirement among workers outside employment subject to social security contributions, and transitions to retirement in a household context.

By using the Microcensus Panel (MZP) we use a dataset that is already available but has hardly been used in research on retirement. The MZP is based on the Microcensus and allows for the linking of individuals and households surveyed in the Microcensus across the annual survey waves for the duration of their participation in the Microcensus (four years). The MZP offers advantages due to its large sample size, the fact that it surveys households rather than just individuals, its consideration of total labour force participation rather than just employment subject to social security contributions, and, its excellent recording of individual migration histories. These strengths of the MZP make it possible aim for a significant progress in retirement research in Germany.