Introduction

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part shows that economic security is far more problematic for elderly women than for men. Those who are widows of workers covered by Social Security will receive monthly benefits pegged to wage scales of decades long past. The part focuses on data from the United States and Canada that describe how, at least among the cohort of retirees, the decision to leave the labor force has different antecedents for women than for men. The women are more likely than men to leave for family- rather than work-related reasons. Married women are frequently pressured to join their husbands in retirement even though this means quitting earlier than desired. The amount of preretirement planning offered by employers also varies, as does the provision of pension benefits.