Despite numerous empirical studies, there is surprisingly little agreement about whether the Social Security earnings test affects male labor supply. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the labor supply effects of the earnings test using longitudinal administrative earnings data and more commonly used survey data. We find that…

The labor-supply or work-effort response of male heads of families eligible for or receiving subsidies such as negative income tax (Graduated Work Incentive Experiment-New Jersey, Pennsylvania) revealed no sharp disincentive for male family heads. Any disincentive reflected was concentrated among the poorest stratum. (EA)

Alternative models of the choice of retirement state are estimated on a sample of white married males from the Retirement History Survey, 1967-73. Findings suggest that the critical choice for a large number of older workers appears to be that of labor force participation first, with either partial or full-time employment determined conditionally…

The age-earnings profile of male workers is significantly influenced by the age composition of the workforce. The dependence of the age-earnings profile on demographically induced movements along a relative demand schedule suggests that standard human capital models of the profile are incomplete. (MF)