Women’s Retirement Security: Challenges & Trends

Elderly women, who comprise a growing portion of the U.S. population, have historically been at greater risk of living in poverty than elderly men. Several factors contribute to the higher rate of poverty among elderly women including their tendency to have lower lifetime earnings, their taking time out of the workforce to care for family members, and outliving their spouses. Other factors affecting older women’s financial insecurity include the economic downturn and changing trends in pension plan offerings. This book examines how women’s access to and participation in employer-sponsored retirement plans compare to men’s and how they have changed over time; how women’s retirement income compares to men’s and how the composition of their income the proportion of income coming from different sources - has changed with the economic conditions and trends in pension design; and what policy options are available to help increase women’s retirement income security.