Old-age labour supply in the developing world

Abstract

Rapid population ageing is becoming an increasingly important policy issue in many developing countries. Without broad-based pension schemes, the elderly are left to rely on their own current and accumulated earnings and support from children as their primary means of old-age support. This is the first study of which one is aware that jointly estimates the determinants financial transfers from children and elderly labour supply in a developing country context. It is found that many Indonesians continue to work well into old age and there is little evidence that financial transfers are a substitute for the income generated by elderly parents' own labour supply.