Giorgio Brunello (University of Padova and IZA) 

Does postponing minimum retirement age improve healthy behaviours? Evidence from Middle-Aged Italian Workers  (joint work with Marco Bertoni, Gianluca Mazzarella)  

Date: September, 20th At 9,30h

Room: 23.103 (Mercè Rodoreda Building) - Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona

Abstract: We use the exogenous variation in minimum retirement age induced by a sequence of Italian pension reforms during the 1990s and 2000s to estimate whether postponing retirement age increases individual investment in healthy behaviours before retirement. We find that lengthening the working horizon increases the likelihood of carrying out sports regularly, and reduces smoking and drinking. Longer time to retirement also reduces the likelihood of consuming red meat and soft drinks daily, and the prevalence of obesity, but these effects are less precisely estimated.

Bio: Giorgio Brunello is Professor of Economics at the University of Padova, Research Fellow at Cesifo, IZA and ROA. He is Co-editor of the Economics of Education Review. His recent research is in labour economics, economics of education and applied health economics. Recent publications include papers in the Journal of Labor Economics, The Economic Journal and the Journal of Public Economics.