Household Labor Supply and the Value of Social Security Survivors Benefits
利用美国税收数据中配偶死亡和遗属保险年龄资格的变化，研究发现60岁获得遗属保险资格显著减少了新丧偶家庭的劳动力供给，表明该保险提供了重要的流动性和保护价值。
We combine quasi-experimental variation in spousal death and age eligibility for survivors benefits using US tax records to study the effects on American households’ labor supply and the design of social security’s survivors insurance. Benefit eligibility at the exact age of 60 induces sharp reductions in the labor supply of newly widowed households, highlighting the value of survivors benefits and the liquidity they provide following the shock. Among eligible widows, the spousal death event induces no increases in labor supply, suggesting little residual need to self-insure. Using theory, we underscore the program’s protective insurance role and its high valuation among survivors.