New paper: “How Do Responses to the Downturn Vary by Household Characteristics?”

The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College has released a new Issue in Brief: "How Do Responses to the Downturn Vary by Household Characteristics?" by Norma B. Coe and Kelly Haverstick.

The brief's key findings are:

• Half of respondents to a 2009 CRR survey planned to respond to the downturn by working longer, saving more, or both.
  
• Their choice was influenced by different factors:
  
  • "Work longer" was favored by those with large losses or a greater dependence on assets, less time to recover, and high anxiety;
    
  • "Save more" was favored by those with higher incomes, higher expectations for stock returns, and greater job security;
    
  • "Work longer and save more" predictably reflected a blend of these responses plus lower contribution rates.
    

The brief is available here.