Disparities | MRDRC

Project

2024

Race Disparities & Consequences of Cancer Diagnosis on Preretirement Work Disruption

Cancer is among the most common health problems that adults face, leading to work disruptions and, consequently, decreased economic security of workers and their families. Black adults have higher risks of cancer-related job disruptions than their white counterparts....

Authors: Dawn Carr, Askal Ali,

Project

2024

An Intersectional Approach to Retirement Expectations and Timing

Racial and ethnic health disparities and gaps in retirement wealth play an important role in retirement timing. Gendered differences in retirement timing/preparedness may also differ by race and ethnicity. Furthermore, educational and occupational level are important...

Authors: Shervin Assari, Amanda Sonnega,

Project

2024

Pathways and Persistence of Labor Force Transitions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Using new data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we will document pathways out of the labor force during the COVID-19 pandemic; estimate the persistence of transitions into retirement, disability, and other nonwork states for near retirement workers; and...

Authors: Maria Casanova, David Knapp,

Project

2024

Community-engaged Research into the Barriers and Communication Preferences of Rural Populations

This qualitative research project will use in-depth interviews of rural residents to understand: a) service-related barriers to seeking government benefits in rural areas and communication preferences among rural residents; b) how service-related barriers and...

Authors: Debra Brucker, Megan Henly, Andrew J. Houtenville, Kelly Nye-Lengerman,

Project

2024

The Color of Wealth in Chicago: Wealth Disparities by Race and Ethnicity

In the U.S., the average Black and Hispanic or Latino household owns about 15% to 20% as much net wealth as the average white household. An in-depth understanding of the barriers to wealth accumulation among people of color is an urgent policy concern to break cycles...

Authors: Malcolm Williams, Darrick Hamilton, Lilian Perez, Susann Rohwedder,

Project

2023

Only Spot a Few Blacks the Higher I Go: Occupational Segregation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

This project will examine whether there exists a link between occupational segregation by race and labor market outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will estimate the extent to which workers who were employed in occupations with higher concentrations of Black...

Authors: Jhacova Williams,

Project

2023

Barriers and Communications Preferences of Rural Populations: A Scoping Review

This scoping review of the literature on communications and service-related barriers faced by individuals living in rural areas when seeking government benefits will examine the current research on this topic and identify differences by sociodemographic groups within...

Authors: Megan Henly, Debra Brucker, Andrew J. Houtenville, Kelly Nye-Lengerman,

Project

2023

RAND HRS Poverty Measures for HRS 1994

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is the primary data set in the U.S. for the study of the well-being of the older population. A common indicator of material hardship used in research and in the administration of various government programs is poverty status. A...

Authors: Susann Rohwedder,

Project

2023

Geographic Variation in Social Security Disability Insurance Beneficiaries’ Mortality Rates

This project aims to document and understand how SSDI beneficiaries’ mortality rates vary across counties and states, both in absolute terms and relative to nonbeneficiaries in their communities. In addition to describing the geographic dispersion in mortality, we...

Authors: Timothy J. Moore, Amanda Michaud, David Wiczer,

Project

2023

The Impact of Affordable and Accessible Broadband on SSDI and SSI Receipt

We propose to causally estimate how SSI and SSDI receipt responded to a national program providing affordable broadband, access to discounted computer equipment, and digital literacy resources to low-income families. We will do so with geographic data on program...

Authors: George Zuo, David Powell,

Project

2023

The House: Is it an Asset or a Liability?

This project will investigate rising housing debt and the capacity to sustain post-retirement consumption. Housing debt may leave many households, especially women, minorities, and households with low socioeconomic status, with inadequate retirement resources.

Authors: Leora Friedberg, Wei Sun, Anthony Webb,

Project

2023

Equity Implications of the Rising Full Retirement Age and Social Security Communications: An Analysis of Past and Future Disparities in the Economic Security of Retirees

The Social Security Amendments of 1983 raised the Full Retirement Age (FRA), the age at which claimants receive an unreduced monthly benefit, from 65 to 67. However, this change was set to be gradually implemented, with the first increase from 65 to 66 phased-in...

Authors: Philip Armour, Avery Calkins,

Project

2023

The Lifetime Earnings Effects of the Social Security Student Benefit

In 1981, Congress voted to eliminate the “student benefit” of Social Security, which allowed for the continuation of child benefits past the age of 18 for those enrolled in schooling full-time. We compare the lifetime earnings of eligible children who turned 18 just...

Authors: Kathryn Edwards, Melanie A. Zaber,

Project

2023

The Enduring Impacts of COVID-19 on Americans’ Economic and Retirement Security

This project builds on our previous work by using newly collected data to examine how Americans’ economic and retirement security have changed during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis will examine (1) how the long duration of the pandemic and...

Authors: Jeremy Burke, Marco Angrisani, Arie Kapteyn,

Project

2023

Social Security’s Role in Economic Security: Evidence and Insight from an Analysis of Multiprogram Participation

We estimate individual participation in 18 separate spending programs and construct measures of nonparticipation and density of participation (which we call multiprogram participation) by age, race, ethnicity, and gender groups. We then use regression analysis to...

Authors: Jessie Coe, Kathryn Edwards,

Project

2023

Understanding the Social Security Communication Needs of Hispanics with Limited English Language Proficiency

According to United States census data, there are approximately 20 million adults with limited English proficiency (LEP) in the country, of whom more than 65% are Spanish speakers. This study aims to provide initial insights into the Social Security communications...

Authors: Francisco Perez-Arce, Lila Rabinovich,

Project

2023

Mixed-methods Study on Work-disabled Adults Who Do Not Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits

Fewer than 50% of all American adults with work disabilities currently receive disability benefits, presenting a stark divergence between self-reported work-disability prevalence and disability awards. Yet, we know little about how work-disabled adults make their...

Authors: Doerte Junghaenel, Lila Rabinovich,

Project

2023

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Effects of COVID-19 on Job Separation and Financial Precarity

Drawing on Health and Retirement Study data collected in 2021, we will examine racial differences in the COVID-19 pandemic’s consequences on financial security. We hypothesize that, relative to their white counterparts, Black and Hispanic older workers were more...

Authors: Dawn Carr, Amanda Sonnega,

Project

2023

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Job Characteristics and Patterns in Disability Retirement and Social Security Retirement Wealth

Using Health and Retirement Study data together with rich job characteristic data from O*NET, we will identify variables related to work context that characterize jobs based on levels of physiological and psychological stress. We will evaluate differences by...

Authors: Dawn Carr, Amanda Sonnega,

Project

2023

Estimating Racial Disparities in Economic Outcomes

This project will review the literature on methods for estimating racial disparities in economic outcomes with a specific focus on how controls for other factors (e.g., education) are or are not included in such analyses. These methods would be compared with those in...

Authors: Helen Levy,

Project Category: Disparities

Race Disparities & Consequences of Cancer Diagnosis on Preretirement Work Disruption

An Intersectional Approach to Retirement Expectations and Timing

Pathways and Persistence of Labor Force Transitions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Community-engaged Research into the Barriers and Communication Preferences of Rural Populations

The Color of Wealth in Chicago: Wealth Disparities by Race and Ethnicity

Only Spot a Few Blacks the Higher I Go: Occupational Segregation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Barriers and Communications Preferences of Rural Populations: A Scoping Review

RAND HRS Poverty Measures for HRS 1994

Geographic Variation in Social Security Disability Insurance Beneficiaries’ Mortality Rates

The Impact of Affordable and Accessible Broadband on SSDI and SSI Receipt

The House: Is it an Asset or a Liability?

Equity Implications of the Rising Full Retirement Age and Social Security Communications: An Analysis of Past and Future Disparities in the Economic Security of Retirees

The Lifetime Earnings Effects of the Social Security Student Benefit

The Enduring Impacts of COVID-19 on Americans’ Economic and Retirement Security

Social Security’s Role in Economic Security: Evidence and Insight from an Analysis of Multiprogram Participation

Understanding the Social Security Communication Needs of Hispanics with Limited English Language Proficiency

Mixed-methods Study on Work-disabled Adults Who Do Not Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Effects of COVID-19 on Job Separation and Financial Precarity

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Job Characteristics and Patterns in Disability Retirement and Social Security Retirement Wealth

Estimating Racial Disparities in Economic Outcomes

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