**GAO-07-753**                      Published: Jul 11, 2007. Publicly Released: Jul 11, 2007.                  

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## Highlights

While many factors influence workers' decisions to retire, Social Security, Medicare, and pension laws also play a role, offering incentives to retire earlier and later. Identifying these incentives and how workers respond can help policy makers address the demographic challenges facing the nation. GAO assessed (1) the incentives federal policies provide about when to retire, (2) recent retirement patterns and whether there is evidence that changes in Social Security requirements have resulted in later retirements, and (3) whether tax-favored private retiree health insurance and pension benefits influence when people retire. GAO analyzed retirement age laws and SSA data and conducted statistical analysis of Health and Retirement Study data. Under the Comptroller General's authority, GAO has prepared this report on its own initiative.

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## Topics

Retirement Security

Age requirementsEmployee incentivesEmployeesFederal social security programsGovernment retirement benefitsLabor forceMedicareOlder workersPensionsPolicy evaluationRetireesRetirementRetirement ageRetirement benefitsSocial security benefitsTax law