Population Aging, Labor Demand, and the Structure of Wages by Margarita Sapozhnikov and Robert K. Triest (WP#2007-14, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College).

Inter-vivos Giving Over the Lifecycle by Michael Hurd, James P. Smith, & Julie Zissimopoulos (WR-524, RAND).

New from Springer: Quality of Life in Old Age: International and Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives, edited by Heidrun Mollenkopf and Alan Walker. Available in Penn State’s Social Sciences Library.

Newsweek’s Robert Samuelson writes about why presidential candidates and think tanks alike have been quiet about possible solutions to problems facing an aging population, and makes a call for action.

The Commonwealth Fund/National Opinion Research Center Survey of Retiree Health Benefits, 2005: A Chartbook is available for download from the Commonwealth Fund.

Population Issues in the 21st Century: The Role of the World Bank (PDF) was produced by the Health, Nutrition, and Population Family (HNP) of the World Bank’s Human Development Network. The paper discusses “some obstacles and opportunities presented by opulation processes in order to prioritize areas for investment and analytical work as background nformation for the 2007 HNP Sector Strategy.”

Demand for long-term care is expected to explode as the baby boomer generation ages, but the system is already stretched and costs can mount quickly (Oxford Analytica via Forbes.com).

A study of Old Order Amish found that lifespan may be inherited from fathers but not from mothers (The Economist).

Citation: Omer T. Njajou, Richard M. Cawthon, Coleen M. Damcott, et al. (2007). Telomere length is paternally inherited and is associated with parental lifespan. PNAS 104(29): 12135-12139. [Available online to Penn State faculty, students, and staff.]

Social Security provides benefits on a gender-neutral basis, but gender-related differences in work culture mean that in practice Social Security provides different levels of retirement security for men and women (Women and Social Security [PDF], American Academy of Actuaries issue brief).

The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, “one of the longest and most respected sociological investigations ever undertaken,” began as a survey of high school seniors’ post-graduation plans in 1957. Fifty years later, the study continues to examine how lifetime experiences affect quality of life as people age. This summer, WLS researchers are celebrating and sharing results with participants at their 50th high school reunions. (University of Wisconsin-Madison press release)

HRS has announced the release of the Version “G” RAND File. The file contains HRS data from 1992-2004. This file replaces the old RAND merged file on SodaPop. Version G has 348 new variables, but has dropped 88 variables from the previous release. This data is also available on PopNet.