Since the concept of retirement is prominent in both popular thinking and academic studies it would be helpful if the notion were analytically sound, could be measured with precision, and would make possible comparisons of patterns of retirement over time and among different populations. This...

The paper considers age-sex patterns of fluctuation of employment, unemployment, labour force participation, hours worked per employee, and hours worked per capita. The patterns are extracted (by regression) from annual data for the period 1976-2011 and expressed in the form of...

Cover -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- 1 Introduction -- 2 A review of the record -- 3 A look at the future -- 4 Seasonal patterns -- 5 The dynamics of the market: short-term flows and transition probabilities -- 6 Has the structure of unemployment rates changed? -- 7 On the causes of high youth...