The Transitional Impact of State Pension Reform

By Jordan Pandolfo & Kurt Winkelmann We use an overlapping generations framework to evaluate the transitional impact of state pension reform on public and private workers, and apply this analysis to all fifty U.S. states. We consider (i) closing the pension plan to new entrants, (ii) reducing benefits together with wage increases and (iii) suspending cost-of-living-adjustments (COLAs). While each reform effectively reduces long run taxes, variation in fiscal and demographic features creates significant differences in state outcomes. Closing the plan...