Survivors' pensions In my thesis I concerned myself with the issue of survivors' pensions, because it is a topic, which is topical at all times and it can affect anyone of us. My aim was to present a comprehensive overview, this is why I tried to handle the topic not only in terms of the current legal regulations, but also to describe the historical development of survivors' pensions, and to point out the changes, that have already been carried out in relation to the pension reform and which are planned for the future. The first chapter is devoted to the historical development of the survivors' benefits from the period of the First Czechoslovak Republic to the 1990s. I mentioned all the important laws and how the listing of the provided survivors' pensions and the conditions which entitle a person to the pension changed over the years. In the next chapter I name the current sources of law concerning the pension insurance, especially three main legal acts, from which I mostly derived the information while writing this thesis, but also the constitutional basis, significant international treaties concerning pensions and the sources of the European Union law. In the third chapter I concerned myself with the explanation of the terms, which often appear in the following chapters of my thesis, because they are...

130 Abstrakt v anglickém jazyce We comprehend the coordination of social security systems as an interconnection of social security systems of Member States therefore the free movement of persons can be carried out. The aim of Coordinating Regulations is to ensure that a migrant does not loose his/her claims on social rights due to his/her enjoyment of free movement. Concerning the large extent of this topic the thesis is focusing only on old-age and survivors' pensions according to valid Regulations (EC) No 883/2004 and No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council which entered into force on 1 May 2010. The preliminary chapter out of five at total generally presents the nature of the Coordinating Regulations. It clears up their development and aims. It further introduces other sources of coordination law and explains their relations with other sources of EU law and international law. The determination of personal and material scope of Coordinating Regulations is the indispensable part of this chapter as well. The second chapter highlights the cardinal importance of basic principles of Coordinating Regulations - the principle of equal treatment, the principle of single applicable legislation, the principle of aggregation of periods, the principle of export of benefits and the principle of good...

The thesis is concerned with the problem of sustainable spending towards the end of the human life cycle, which is a substantial quantitative problem in the pension framework. We gradually build a model, which coherently links the three key factors of retirement planning: uncertain length of human life, uncertain investment returns and spending rates. Within the framework of our intuitive model, we apply the method of moment matching to derive an approximation for the probability of individual's retirement ruin. The accuracy of presented approximation is analyzed via extensive Monte Carlo simulations. A numerical case study using Czech data is provided, including calculated values for the probability of ruin and maximal sustainable spending rate under various combinations of wealth-to-spending ratios and investment portfolio characteristics.

The Czech pension system will change substantially in the coming decades. Demographic changes will cause its financial instability while keeping its current parameters. Financial stability of the pension system can be reached through expenditure reduction and increase in revenues of the pension system. We can expect a real decline of the average pensions paid on the level of dozens of percentages in the coming decades. The decision between pay as you go and fund pension scheme is not affected by the demographic situation. The individuals should decrease their expenditures and ensure additional revenue in retirement to secure their standard of living. The family solidary can provide certain social security in retirement. The preservation of minimal level of population reproduction is vital for both pay as you go and fund pension schemes.

Stigande förväntade livslängder har tillsammans med sjunkande födelsetal bidragit till en omvandling av pensionssystemet i ett antal länder. I sin tur har det medfört en större individhantering och därmed större krav på den enskilda individens kompetens. Tidigare studier visar att finansiell förmåga tenderar att vara låg i välutvecklade länder, ett positivt samband mellan individens finansiella förmåga och pensionsplanering har också urskilts. Ur detta perspektiv kan den ökade individhanteringen ses oroväckande och skapa ogynnsamma förutsättningar för goda ekonomiska utfall både för samhället och den enskilda individen. De tidigare studierna behandlar främst nivåerna av finansiell förmåga och pensionsplanering samt hur de samvarierar i tvärsnitt. För att skapa en bättre förståelse för sambandet mellan finansiell förmåga och pensionsplanering ämnar denna uppsats att studera sambandet över tid. Uppsatsen baseras på ett datamaterial från Norge, där en förändring i pensionssystemet implementerats 2011. Sambandet mellan individens finansiella förmåga och pensionsplanering studeras med regressionsanalyser. Resultatet från regressionsanalyserna tyder på att en förändring i den finansiella förmågan inte kommer leda till en förändring av individens pensionsplanering. Uppsatsens resultat ger inte stöd för ett kausalt samband mellan finansiell förmåga och pensionsplanering i Norge. De tidigare studierna i andra länder har fått stöd för ett kausalt samband. Om sambandet mellan finansiell förmåga och pensionsplanering är detsamma eller liknande i ett internationellt perspektiv väcker uppsatsens resultat ytterligare frågor kring hur sambandet och mekanismen bakom finansiell förmåga och pensionsplanering verkligen ser ut. Om en önskan att öka individers pensionsplanering finns ges inga tydliga svar på vilka åtgärder som är lämpliga och genererar resultat. / Rising life expectancies together with declining birth rates have contributed to a transformation of the pension system in several countries. In turn, the transformation has resulted in a greater individual management of the pensions and thus greater demands on the individual’s skills. Previous researches have shown that financial literacy tends to be low in well-developed countries, they have also distinguished a positive relationship between an individual’s financial literacy and retirement planning. From this point of view, the increased individual management could cause concerns and create unfavorable conditions for positive economic outcomes for the society as well as the individual. The previous researches have mainly dealt with the levels of financial literacy and retirement planning and how they co-vary in cross section. The thesis intends to study the relationship between financial literacy and retirement planning over time, to achieve a better understanding of the relationship. The thesis is based on a dataset from Norway, where a change in the pension system was implemented in 2011. The relationship between the individual's financial literacy and retirement planning is examined with regression analyzes. The results from the regression analyzes indicate that a change in the individual’s financial literacy do not have an impact on the retirement planning. The thesis results do not provide support for a causal relationship between financial literacy and retirement planning in Norway. The previous researches in other countries do provide support for a causal relationship. If the relationship between financial literacy and retirement planning is the same or similar in an international point of view, the results raises further questions about how the relationship appears and how the mechanism works. If there is a desire to enhance individuals' retirement planning the thesis result give no simple answers to what actions that are appropriate and generate results.

The aim of study is to analyze the causes of economic inactivity in the Czech population of working age. Attention is focused on its development, deeper understanding of the structure of the population and the consequences for him mean. The first section presents the concept of economic status, population and methods used by survey data in this area. Next chapters deals with the particular reasons for economic inactivity, such as education, retirement and disability pensions and other reasons that are asked in the Labour Force Survey conducted by the Czech Statistical Office. In the development there is particularly noticeable the prolonged duration of education of young population and the increasing age of retirement. The study continues with the analysis of the age and educational structure and development of the economically active population of working age. The last chapter analyses the issue of the average length of economic activities according to individual education based on the tables of economic activity.

Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, que teve como objetivo compreender as mudanças de vida das pessoas aposentadas com diabete tipo 2. Primeiramente se caracteriza a população com diabetes tipo 2 da Clínica Hospital ISSSTE Celaya - México, onde extraiu-se uma amostra de 56 pacientes do quais 39,28% estão entre 60 e 69 anos de idade, 53,6% pertencem ao sexo feminino, 69,6% são casados, 35,7% são do lar, 41% têm nível básico de estudos, 92,8% vivem com algum familiar, 28,57% têm entre 1 e 5 anos de diagnóstico, 87,7% comparecem à consulta pelo menos uma vez ao mês, 60,7% foram em mais de uma ocasião, 39,3% ignoram as causas de hospitalização, 66,1% têm patologia associada, 98,2% fazem tratamento medicamentoso. A seguir se aplica uma entrevista semiestruturada com dez pacientes com diabetes tipo 2 e por meio da Análise de Conteúdo Modalidade Temática, chegou-se a quatro grandes temas: 1) vida dedicada ao trabalho; 2) insegurança em relação ao diabetes tipo 2; 3) alternativas depois da aposentadoria e 4) plano terapêutico para o controle do diabete tipo 2. O resultados evidenciaram que grande parte dos sujeitos tiveram uma vida dedicada ao trabalho, que gerou satisfação e insatisfação. Antes da aposentadoria relatam que não tiveram tempo para o cuidado com o controle metabólico do diabetes, priorizaram o trabalho, o cuidado dos filhos e do lar, além de que havia uma dupla jornada de trabalho que nem sempre era dividida com seus companheiros e filhos; mesmo reconhecendo que o diabetes tem um componente genético, isto não foi suficiente para que houvesse mudanças no estilo de vida, e consideram que os aspectos emocionais interferem no controle metabólico do diabetes; identificou-se que poucos sujeitos buscaram alternativas para o ocupação do tempo livre na aposentadoria, como participação em grupos comunitários ou no desenvolvimento de habilidades pessoais; foi possível apreender que além do tratamento convencional para o controle do diabetes, os sujeitos incorporam também as práticas não convencionais como o uso de plantas medicinais, como o Nopal, amplamente difundido e reconhecido na sociedade mexicana; além disso reconhecem que existe dificuldades para as mudanças no padrão alimentar, concorrendo para isso uma história alimentar com grandes quantidades de calorias e pela difusão de outras culturas alimentares na atualidade; não existe, no plano terapêutico, a prática das atividades físicas. Nas considerações finais reconhece-se que o México tem, no seu Plano Nacional de Saúde, referenciais teóricos mais amplos como o da atenção primária à saúde e da promoção da saúde, mas ao apresentar uma organização dos serviços de proteção social e de saúde organizados por Institutos de Seguridade Social. Estes detém autonomia para a incorporação e adequação da macro política no âmbito local, e que reflete na forma de atenção à saúde, dispensada para a população usuária. Mesmo incorporando parte da política de promoção da saúde, por meio da formação dos clubes de diabéticos, ainda não é considerado a focalização na família e o seu entorno social. Nesse sentido, percebe-se que as pessoas com diabetes tipo 2, não tem um seguimento regular na assistência, assim como no autogerenciamento do seu controle metabólico, fato, evidenciado pelo grande número de consultas e internações hospitalares durante o período de um ano. Também faz parte de nossas reflexões o fato as dificuldades para a adoção de mudanças no estilo de vida parecem estar relacionadas ao aparecimento e a confirmação do diabetes tipo 2 na fase adulta, onde os costumes, crenças e valores já estão incorporados no cotidiano, por isso qualquer mudança parece ser mais penosa para estas pessoas. / This qualitative study aimed to understand life changes of retired people with diabetes type 2. First, the population with diabetes type 2 from the Clinic Hospital ISSSTE Celaya, México was characterize, from which a sample of 56 patients where extracted, 39.28% are between 60 and 69 years old, 53.6% female, 69.6% married, 35.7% housewives, 41% primary schooling, 92.8% live with relatives, 28.57% has one to five years of diagnosis, 87.7% attend consultation at least one a month, 60.7% attended more than one occasion, 39.3% ignored hospitalization causes, 66.1% has associated pathology, 98.2% is under medicament treatment. A semi-structured interview was applied to ten patients with diabetes type 2. Four main themes emerged through Content Analysis Thematic Modality: 1) life dedicated to work; 2) insecurity regarding the diabetes type 2; 3) alternatives after retirement and 4) therapeutic plan for the control of diabetes type 2. The results evidenced that a great portion of them had a life dedicated to work, which caused both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. They reported that before retiring they had no time for keeping the diabetes metabolic control, prioritized work, children and family, besides double work journey which was not always divided with their partners and children: the recognition that diabetes has a genetic component was not sufficient for changes in the life style and they consider that emotional aspects interfere in the metabolic control of diabetes; a few subjects sought alternatives for occupying their free time after retirement, such as the participation in communitarian groups or in the development of personal abilities. It was possible to infer that besides the conventional treatment for the diabetes control, subjects also incorporated non-conventional practices such as the use of medicinal plants, as Nopal, largely disseminated and known by the Mexican society. They also recognize there are difficulties in changing eating habits, which are coupled with a history of great quantity of calories ingested and to other cultural eating habits currently disseminated, no therapeutic plan or practice of physical activities. It is acknowledged, in the final considerations, that the Mexican National Health Plan follows ample theoretical references such as those of primary health care and health promotion. However, its organization of services for social protection and health are performed by Social Security Institutes. These institutes have autonomy to incorporate and adequate the macro policy in the local sphere which is reflected in the form of health care delivered to the user population. Even incorporating part of the health promotion policy through the creation of diabetic clubs, the family focus and its social environment have not being considered. In this sense, it is perceived that people with diabetes type 2 do not have a regular follow-up in the assistance or self manage their metabolic control, which is evidenced by the great number of consultations and hospitalizations during a one-year period. The difficulties in adopting changes in their life styles seem to be related to the appearance and confirmation of diabetes type 2 in adult age, when habits, beliefs and values are incorporated in routine; thus, any change seems to be more difficulty for them.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo geral realizar uma análise de como contabilizar obrigações, com benefícios previdenciários de risco, em regimes de repartição simples, que não preveem formação de reserva ou métodos pré-definidos para isso. Para a consecução de tal objetivo, escolheu-se o benefício de pensão por morte (pensão militar) das Forças Armadascomo objeto de estudo. Nesse sentido, o uso de uma base de dados real contendo as informações individualizadas, pode ser apontado com um dos diferenciais desta pesquisa.Considerando-se o grau de confiabilidade dessa base de dados, além do ineditismo do seu uso em pesquisas acadêmicas, foi possível inferir que os resultados obtidos contribuíram para ratificar diversos conceitos expostos na plataforma teórica. A trajetória metodológica desta pesquisa foi desenvolvida com base no emprego de métodos de custeio atuarial a fim de realizar a projeção de receitas e despesas do sistema de pensões militares. Tais métodos, além da repartição simples, estão alinhados com as abordagens Accumulated Benefit Obligation(ABO) e Projected Benefit Obligation(PBO). Dessa forma, por meio da comparação entre os resultados oriundos das mencionadas abordagens, buscou-se identificar os possíveis impactos nas contas da União, enquanto ente empregador. O confronto de resultados foi realizado com base em uma análise comparativa cujo método principal para o cálculo atuarial foi o fluxo projetado, bem como o fundo financeiro decorrente desse fluxo. Com base nos valores obtidos, diante das diferenças conceituais das abordagens estudadas, entendeu-se que uma forma adequada para permitir a comparação dos resultados seria o cálculo do fundo financeiro futuro a cada período de tempo (t). A análise dos resultados indicou a ocorrência de diferenças representativas entre as abordagens. Na verdade, constatou-se que por não considerar o aumento salarial, o modelo ABO previu menores valores de obrigações com os benefícios futuros, portanto, os valores presentes do fundo financeiro foram maiores do que os modelos que consideraram aumento salarial.Nessa perspectiva, sob o enfoque do ente empregador, os resultados pareceram mais otimistas.Por fim, a abordagem PBO apresentou resultados que pareceram mais aderentes `a realidade do sistema, aproximando-se relativamente do resultado da repartição, no cenário com taxa de juros de 3% (menor taxa utilizada nas projeções). Considerando-se o tempo total das projeções, foi possível observar que, para os modelos de repartição e PBO, existiu um passivo a ser registrado nas contas da União. No entanto, o modelo ABO indicou o contrário, sugerindo que há uma ativo a ser contabilizado no Balanço Geral da União. Tal situação indicou que há diferenças concretas nos resultados, que podem levar os usuários da informação contábil a tomar decisões equivocadas em decorrência dessa distorção de valores. Ficou evidenciado que quanto maior for o horizonte de tempo projetado, maiores serão as diferenças. Ou seja, no menor horizonte adotado (25 anos) constatou-se as menores diferenças. Nesse horizonte, todos os modelos apresentaram valores de que sugerem a existência de um ativo a ser contabilizado. À luz de tal constatação parece razoável sugerir como adequada a revisão do tempo de projeção hoje empregado no âmbito da União (75 anos) na tentativa de reduzir a parcela de incerteza embutida nesse horizonte de longo prazo. / The main objective of this study was to analyze how to account for obligations with risk pension benefits in simple distribution systems that do not provide for reserve formation or predefined methods for this. In order to achieve this objective, the death benefit (military pension) benefit of the Armed Forces was chosen as the object of study. In this sense, the use of a real database containing the individualized information can be pointed out with one of the differentials of this research. Considering the degree of reliability of this database, in addition to the novelty of its use in academic research, it was possible to infer that the results obtained contributed to ratify several concepts exposed in the theoretical platform. The methodological trajectory of this research was developed based on the use of actuarial costing methods in order to realize the projection of revenues and expenses of the military pension system. Such methods, in addition to simple partitioning, are in line with the Accumulated Benefit Obligation (ABO) and Projected Benefit Obligation (PBO) approaches. Thus, through a comparison of the results from the mentioned approaches, it was sought to identify the possible impacts on the Union accounts, as an employer. The comparison of results was performed based on a comparative analysis whose main method for the actuarial calculation was the projected flow, as well as the financial fund resulting from this flow. Based on the values obtained, in view of the conceptual differences of the approaches studied, it was understood that an adequate way to allow the comparison of the results would be the calculation of the future financial fund at each time period (t). The analysis of the results indicated the occurrence of representative differences between the approaches. In fact, it was found that the ABO model predicted lower bond values with future benefits, therefore, the present values of the financial fund were higher than the models that considered a salary increase. From this perspective, under the focus of the employer, the results seemed more optimistic. Finally, the PBO approach presented results that seemed to be more consistent with the reality of the system, relatively close to the result of the distribution, in the scenario with an interest rate of 3 % (lower rate used in the projections). Considering the total projection time, it was possible to observe that, for the allocation models and PBOs, there was a liability to be recorded in the Union accounts. However, the ABO model indicated the opposite, suggesting that there is an asset to be recorded in the Federal Government Balance Sheet. This situation indicated that there are concrete differences in results, which may lead the users of the accounting information to make mistaken decisions as a result of this distortion of values. It has been shown that the larger the projected time horizon, the greater the differences. That is, in the lowest adopted horizon (25 years) the smallest differences were observed. Within this horizon, all models presented values that suggest the existence of an asset to be accounted for. In light of this, it seems reasonable to suggest as appropriate the review of the projection time currently used in the Union (75 years) in an attempt to reduce the uncertainty embedded in this long-term horizon.

Cette thèse étudie les pensions de réversion en France en mettant l’accent sur la dimension patrimoniale « implicite» des droits à la retraite. En effet, les droits à pensions constituent une composante de la « richesse »des assurés, appréhendée comme une épargne « implicite » encore appelée équivalent patrimonial des droits à la retraite (EPDR). Après avoir analysé, dans le chapitre 1, la grande diversité des règles d’ouverture et de service de la pension de réversion entre les régimes, ainsi que les différentes logiques sous-jacentes des pensions de réversion entre secteur privé et secteur public, nous montrons, dans le chapitre 2, que l’EPDR évalué est plus important, en moyenne, dans les régimes du secteur public en raison des qualifications plus importantes des conjoints défunts dans ces régimes et des conditions de liquidation des retraites plus avantageuses. Par ailleurs,l’inégalité dans la distribution de cette « richesse de pensions » est moindre que celle généralement observée sur le patrimoine réel des ménages, mais se décompose de manière différente selon l’ancien secteur d’activité du conjoint défunt. Aussi, plusieurs facteurs, autres que la pension de réversion, expliqueraient le niveau de l’EPDR. L’analyse, dans le chapitre 3, de l’impact sur l’EPDR de l’augmentation de la durée d’assurance lors des réformes de 1993 et de 2003 montre une réduction significative de l’EPDR des pensionné(e)s dont le conjoint défunt avait validé au moins 60 trimestres de cotisation, mais était touché par la mesure. Enfin, dans le chapitre 4, nous montrons que les dispositifs de réversion permettent en moyenne aux veuves et aux veufs de maintenir leur niveau de vie antérieur au décès de leur conjoint, avec toutefois des nuances selon que le défunt était ancien cadre du privé, ancien non cadre du privé ou ancien fonctionnaire civil d’État. / This thesis examines survivors’ pensions in France by focusing on the implicit patrimonial dimension of pension rights. Indeed, pension rights are a component of the wealth of insured persons, considered as an implicit saving also called Pension wealth (PW). After examining in Chapter 1 the wide heterogeneity of rules governing the openness and service of survivors’ pensions between schemes, as well as the logic underlying survivors’ pensions between the private and public sectors, we show, in Chapter 2, that calculated Pension wealth is higher on average in public sector schemes due to the higher qualifications of the spouses deceased in these schemes and the more favorable retirement benefit conditions. Moreover, inequality in the distribution of Pension wealth is smaller than that generally observed on the real wealth of households, but Pension wealth is distributed differently according to the previous sector of activity of the deceased spouse. On the other hand, several factors, other than the survivor’s pension, would explain the level of Pension wealth. In Chapter 3, we show that the increase in the duration of insurance caused by the 1993 and 2003 reforms has significantly reduced Pension wealth for derived pensioners right whose deceased spouse had validated at least 60 quarters of contribution, but was affected by thoses measures.Finally, in Chapter 4, we show that survivors’ schemes on average allow widows and widowers to maintain their standard of living prior to the death of their spouses, although there are differences depending on whether the deceased was a private sector executive, a non-executive wage earner or a civil servant of the State.

This DPhil thesis is a collection of three empirical papers that study the role of firms in the UK labour market. Each chapter focuses on firms at different points in their lifecycle. Young firms are an engine of job creation but little is known about the quality of the jobs that they offer. In Chapter 1, I use a matched employer-employee dataset to study how starting wages and lifecycle earnings of employees differ between young and mature firms. I find that young firms pay a small premium to new hires, but subsequent wage growth is better at mature firms, both within continuing job matches and when individuals change jobs. Crucially, highly-paid and stable jobs at young firms have become increasingly rare over time, as young firms themselves have become less likely to survive and attain high productivity levels - both in absolute terms and relative to mature firms over the same period. Policies that aim to stimulate job growth by encouraging the formation of new firms should therefore pay close attention to the types of firms that form. Chapter 2 asks what determines the proportion of a firm's income that workers receive as compensation. I use longitudinal firm data from a period of substantial labour share variation to understand the firm-level determinants of the labor share of income - a question that has typically only been addressed with country- and sector-level data. Estimating a dynamic model using GMM, I find that firms with greater market power and a higher ratio of capital to labour allocate a smaller proportion of their value added to workers. Testing the impact of tangible and intangible capital on low- and high-wage firms leads to conclusions consistent with the hypothesis of capital-skill complementarity. Overall, the results suggest that firm-level drivers play a key role in the evolution of the aggregate labour share, which has declined significantly since the 1970s. Chapter 3 co-authored with Brian Bell, focuses on mature firms and asks how wages at such firms respond to idiosyncratic firm-level cost shocks. We create a unique dataset that links longitudinal data on workers' compensation to the unexpected costs related to firms' legacy defined benefit pension plans. We show that firms are able to share the burden of such costs when a significant share of their workers are current or former members of the plan. We also find that firms that respond to deficits by closing down the pension plans effectively reduce the total compensation of plan members. These results point to significant frictions in the labour market, which we show are a direct result of the pension arrangement that workers have. Yet closing schemes has an implicit cost for firms, since it reduces the frictions that workers face, and increases mobility.