The Trend in the Rate of Labor Force Participation of Older Men, 1870-1930: A Review of the Evidence

We present new evidence to support our earlier finding that there was no appreciable trend in the rate of retirement for American men between 1870 and 1930. The data suggests that Jon Moen's claim that retirement increased appreciably during this period is mistaken. Moen's critique of our earlier paper is also examined point by point. We demonstrate that his doubts about our procedures are unnecessary.