Pensions and Older Women

Transcription

1 Conference on Older People and the Recession Seminar Series 2010 Inequalities in old age old news or new debate? Pensions and Older Women Dr. Áine Ní Léime, Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, National University of Ireland, Galway Irish Centre for Social Gerontology

2 Introduction Why consider pensions and older women? Current state of data and research on pensions Gender inequality in pensions - main causes? CARDI-funded research: Older women workers access to pensions Irish Centre for Social Gerontology

3 Why consider pensions and older women? Demographic ageing, gender gaps in pension provision Pension provision and reform an issue in EU and Ireland (NI and ROI) (Frericks, Maier and De Graaf, 2007) Pension reform in ROI (Green paper, 2008) Move towards greater provision by individuals Although evidence of pension inequality, debate not sufficiently gendered (NWCI, 2008) Irish Centre for Social Gerontology

4 Current data and research on pensions and older women in ROI Statistical/survey data CSO, 2006, Report on pension coverage, CSO, 2008, QNHS, Pensions Update Q1, 2007, Q1, 2008 SHARE (Irish component) Policy documents: Green paper on pensions, 2007 National Pensions Framework, 2010 National Women s Council of Ireland, 2008

5 Current data and research on pensions and older women in ROI Very little qualitative research Anecdotal, media - rural women Clare Women s Action Group & National Women s Council of Ireland (2007)

6 Current data and research on pensions and older women in NI Statistical data Family Resource Survey Labour Force Survey Northern Ireland Household Panel Survey Matching cross-border data-sets not available different age-groups, etc. Qualitative work: Evason and Spence (2002) & Evason and Spence (2003) Lack of qualitative cross-border research evidence

7 Some features of pension systems Structure of pension system broadly similar First tier state pension supplemented with second tier occupational or personal pensions Full basic state pension in NI = 27% of average salary Full contributory state pension in ROI = 33% of average salary (CARDI policy briefing 2009/2010) Women more dependant than men on basic state pension

8 Lower pension coverage for women: Republic of Ireland data Total pension coverage* in ROI for persons aged Pension coverage % Q1, 2002 % Q1, 2004 % Q4, 2005 % Q1, 2008 Official Target Women Men (Source: CSO, QNHS Pensions Update, Q2, 2007, Q2, 2008) * = occupational, personal or both

9 Lower pension coverage for women: UK data 35% of women vs. 22% of men of working age in the UK have no pension scheme = 13% pension gap (up from 8% in previous year) (Scottish Widows study, 2007) 30% of women entitled to full basic state pension vs. 85% of men (Source: Department of Work and Pensions, 2006, cited in Hillyard et al, 2010)

10 Gender inequality in pension coverage Male pension norm = uninterrupted 40-year continuous work Historically, women constructed as dependants in employment, tax and pension policy (both NI and ROI) Factors in ROI: Marriage bar up to 1973 Equality legislation, 1977 Anti-age discrimination legislation, 1998, 2000 Irish Centre for Social Gerontology

11 Main factors for gender inequality in pension coverage Women have lower labour force participation rates Interrupted work trajectories due to caring role: lose out on years of pension-building miss out on promotion opportunities Irish Centre for Social Gerontology

12 Main factors for gender inequality in pensions Gender pay gap: Horizontal segregation (concentrated in lower paid occupations) Vertical segregation in organisations Women often in seasonal, part-time work (Anxo et al, 2006)

13 Employment rates for women and men, ages Country Women % Men % UK Ireland EU Source: Eurostat Labour Force Survey, 2009

14 Employment rates: ROI Women s and men s rates of employment for various age-groups, 2009 Employment rates: Age group Women % Men % Source: CSO QNHS Q1 2009

15 Economic activity rates for men and women in NI Economic activity rates (aged 16-64) in Northern Ireland Women = 63.8% (6.5% lower than UK) Men = 78.2% Difference = 14.4% (Source: Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Women in Northern Ireland, 30/9/2010)

16 Gender pay gap: women s hourly pay compared to men s, 2006 Country Gender pay gap (%) Republic of Ireland 91 EU27 85 UK 79 (Source: Measuring Ireland s Progress, 2007 (2008)

17 Part-time employment as % of total employment by gender, 2009 Country Women % Men % UK Ireland EU (Source: Eurostat, 2009, LFS)

18 Part-time employment of men and women (16-64) in NI, April-June, % of women work part-time (43% in GB) 8% of men work part-time (12% in GB) (Source: Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Women in Northern Ireland, 30/9/2010)

19 Rationale for CARDI research study Need to conduct cross-border research Need for qualitative research on: main issues leading to low pension provision attitudes and behaviour choices and constraints pathways to pension sectoral differences rural women

20 CARDI-funded research : Older women workers access to pensions (cross-border) Aims of research: identify sectors with low coverage consult women - causes and consequences of current provision inform policy Research Partners: Queen s University Belfast Teagasc Stakeholder partners: Unions: Mandate (ROI), Unison (NI) NGOs: Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Northern Ireland Women s European Platform

21 Qualitative study Methodology: Focus groups 4 in ROI, 2 in NI Interviews 30 women Why qualitative approach? Discover perspectives of older women themselves: experiences strategies life-course analysis: work-life biography pension provision

22 Occupational pension by sector, Q4, 2005 Economic Sector With no occupational pension Women % Men% Agriculture Other production Construction Wholesale and retail trade Hotels and restaurants Transport, storage and communication Financial and other business services Public administration Education Health Other services Total

23 Looking within sectors: public administration 9.8% no coverage for women vs. 4.8% for men Women returners to work : Marriage bar Had to start at bottom of pay-scale Little choice about pensions, unless other resources Added value of qualitative research: Shows how individual interacts with state pension system and economic conditions Life-course analysis Irish Centre for Social Gerontology

24 Case study: Ellen s work-life biography Had to leave school to start work family needed money Marriage bar had to leave work Forced into poorly paid part-time work 5 children no public childcare. Faced age discrimination in seeking employment Gained educational qualifications Anti-age discrimination legislation re-joined civil service Few years to build up pension Cumulative disadvantage Irish Centre for Social Gerontology

25 Discussion points: gender and pension provision Key questions to be addressed: Examine construction and prevalence of gender pension gap in Ireland and Northern Ireland Influence of the life-course on outcomes in pension Implications of policy Consequences of under-provision