April 2024

Why richer, older China needs changes to its social contract

No one likes getting old. The pains and strains of becoming elderly wear on us. The worries about how to ensure we can provide for ourselves in old age looms largest of all, as countries’ birth rates fall Nowhere feels this more acutely than China, where a staggering 300 million peopleminimal or no pensionsmaller families The challenges are multifaceted. The government needs to build out rather than restrict the social safety net of pensions and healthcare for this growing segment of the country’s...

March 2024

UK. TPR takes tougher action over value as it issues first fine

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has issued a fine against a corporate trustee in the UK in a drive to ensure savers receive value from their pension schemes. Regulation, which came into force in 2021, require trustees of pension schemes with less than £100m in assets to undertake a more detailed assessment of value for members than larger schemes. Those failing to deliver value must set out a plan to improve or transfer members to a better-value scheme. To ensure this, TPR launched...

UK. DWP’s frozen state pension policy called into question

The International Consortium of British Pensioners has called for a review of frozen pensions as its analysis reportedly calls into question the figures used by the government to defend the policy. According to the report titled ‘Frozen Pensions: A Policy Overdue for Review’, the figures used by the DWP on the cost of unfreezing pensions are based on the "false presumption" that, at the date of such a policy change, all pensions would be uprated to the level they would have...

The gender pension gap: What does it tell us and what should be done about it?

By Miglena Abels, Loli Arribas-Banos & Gustavo Demarco Despite recent attention in the media, progress in closing the gender pension gap in most countries has halted. These sources point to a stark disparity in retirement outcomes, with women receiving pensions that are between 25% to 30% lower than those of men. Methodological differences to estimate the gap don’t make it less striking and are no excuse for inaction. Source World Bank

February 2024

Gender Inequality Over the Life Cycle, Information Provision and Policy Preferences

By Alessandra Casarico, Jana Schuetz & Silke Uebelmesser We conduct a survey experiment with four thousand German respondents and provide information on two measures of gender inequality, separately or jointly: the gender gap in earnings and the gender gap in pensions. We analyze the effect of information provision on respondents’ views on the importance of reducing gender inequality and on their agreement with the adoption of policies targeted at different stages of the life cycle and aimed at reducing the...

Gender Inequality Over the Life Cycle, Information Provision and Policy Preferences

By Alessandra Casarico, Jana Schuetz & Silke Uebelmesser We conduct a survey experiment with four thousand German respondents and provide information on two measures of gender inequality, separately or jointly: the gender gap in earnings and the gender gap in pensions. We analyze the effect of information provision on respondents’ views on the importance of reducing gender inequality and on their agreement with the adoption of policies targeted at different stages of the life cycle and aimed at reducing the...

January 2024

China Unveils Extensive ‘Silver Economy’ Plan to Adapt to Aging Population

China’s is rapidly getting grayer, and amid unsuccessful attempts to boost languishing birth rates, the country has now unveiled plans to reorient a significant part of its massive economy around its aging population. China’s State Council on Monday unveiled a series of measures to promote the “silver economy,” calling on both state-owned and private enterprises to better cater to the elderly and announcing plans to develop 10 industrial parks and increase public and private investments and innovation in elderly products...

November 2023

Malaysia. Pension system needs upgrading as nation heads towards ‘super-aged society’

MALAYSIA is undergoing a significant demographic shift towards an ageing population.  The World Bank has projected that with 14% of the population aged 65 and above by 2044, it will officially be an “aged society”. By 2056, Malaysia is expected to become a “super-aged society”, with over 20% of its population in that category.  While this brings challenges in areas such as employment, income security and aged care, the shift also presents economic opportunities, particularly in the field of aged care services.  Meanwhile,...

US. Fed keeps interest rates unchanged

For the second consecutive meeting, Federal Reserve officials on Nov. 1 held interest rates steady as the central bank aims to quell inflation without overcooling the economy. The Federal Open Market Committee left the federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 5.25% to 5.5% following its two-day meeting. Since March 2022, the Fed has raised the funds rate, which is now at its highest level since 2001, 525 basis points. "Given how far we have come, along with the uncertainties...

October 2023

Artificial Intelligence Policy: A Primer and Roadmap

By Ryan Calo Talk of artificial intelligence is everywhere. People marvel at the capacity of machines to translate any language and master any game. Others condemn the use of secret algorithms to sentence criminal defendants or recoil at the prospect of machines gunning for blue, pink, and white-collar jobs. Some worry aloud that artificial intelligence will be humankind’s “final invention.” This essay, prepared in connection with UC Davis Law Review's 50th anniversary symposium, explains why AI is suddenly on everyone's mind and...