Passage 5 Work is easily measured by labor force participation rates—the percentage of a given
population that is either working or is actively seeking work (i.e., unemployed). Measuring
retirement, however, is less straightforward, as retirement can be more of a process than an event.
Recent analysis found that at least one-third of older men and nearly half of older women used
transitionary “bridge” jobs before completely leaving the job market. In such instances, people
transition from full-time work to part-time work before retiring. People can also receive Social
Security retirement benefits or other pension/retirement income yet still be employed. In fact, the
Current Population Survey indicates that 12 percent of elderly men and 7 percent of elderly women
report that in 2000 they worked yet still received pension income.
This leads to a variety of ways to measure retirement. Labor force participation rates provide
one measure of potential retirement behavior. More precisely, it is the change in rates which indicate
changes in retirement behavior. One definition of the average age of retirement is the age at which
half of the population is in the labor force and the other half is out. Another indicator is receipt of
Social Security retirement benefits or other pension/retirement income. As mentioned, though,
receipt of such payments does not preclude continued employment. Economists typically classify
someone as retired if the majority of their income is from Social Security, pensions, and/or savings
even if they still are in the paid workforce. Many retirement-based surveys rely on how a respondent
defines his or her retirement status.
【題組】49.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
(A) The change in labor force participation rates can indicate the change in retirement
behavior.
(B) A bridge job refers to part-time work people take after leaving a career but before retiring
completely.
(C) It is possible for people to get retirement benefits while they are still working.
(D) Receipt of retirement benefits or pension income is required for continued employment.