In this paper we discuss the value of international comparative empirical studies within the broad field of the economics of ageing. We argue the value is particularly great when such comparative research is based on long life-history data on participants, collected using large-scale autobiographical life-history methods. We identify particular aspects of such comparisons that create value relative to other empirical methods and also briefly survey recent key papers to illustrate each aspect. Finally we provide a short new application of this method, using data from SHARE and ELSA, to look at the question of how labour markets for older workers in Europe have been changing across cohorts and the extent to which this has been associated with changing retirement ages in public pension systems.
Authors
![James Banks](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/James_Banks.jpg?itok=EvmV7fKj)
CPP Co-Director
James is Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Economics at Manchester, working on broad issues in the economics of retirement, savings and health.
![Agar Brugiavini](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-07/Agar%20Brugiavini_0.jpg?itok=1g0Cw4qs)
Research Fellow Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Agar is a Research Fellow of the IFS and a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Venice,
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
Giacomo Pasini
Journal article details
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jeoa.2019.100206
- Publisher
- The Journal of the Economics of Ageing
- Issue
- Volume 16, June 2020
Suggested citation
J, Banks and A, Brugiavini and G, Pasini. (2020). 'The powerful combination of cross-country comparisons and life-history data' 16(2020)
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