The effect of retirement on home production: evidence from Australia

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of retirement on individuals’ time spent on home production activities. Using rich longitudinal data from Australia and utilizing recent changes in the Australian Pension system which generate exogenous variation in retirement status, we show a significant increase in time devoted to home production, especially for individuals who voluntarily retire from the labour force. The empirical findings provide further evidence consistent with the majority of retirees successfully smoothing their wellbeing as they make the transition out of the labour force.