In order to understand inequality in rapidly changing Europe, innovations in data collection and research methods will be essential. Related issues are illustrated through discussion of several different aspects of inequality using the LIS database.

This paper analyzes how the economic penalty for labor withdrawal and the cushions created by society affect the persistent trend toward early retirement of men in their late fifties and early sixties. Microdata for six LIS countries is used to determine why this early exit took place in the...

This paper argues that a correct approach to the study of poverty must proceed from a sociologically grounded understanding of material and social well-being in modern societies. From reanalysis of Gallop poll data covering the period 1950-1968, this paper concludes that the elasticity of the...

This paper compares the economic status of low income families age 25-55 across several LIS countries. It finds greater economic stress among younger families (35-55 age heads). It finds that U.S. families had higher poverty rates than European families over this period.

This study proposes a social rather than an economic conception of poverty in the U.S., exploring the definition of poverty line from this perspective. Data from three sources is used to describe poverty rates in the U.S. in relation to changes over time, a cross national perspective, and...

Focuses on the relative conditions of aged populations in eight LIS countries, finding extreme differences in well being among single women as compared to married couples in some countries. Policy suggestions are made to help those worst off while also preserving incentives for private saving...