Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/SimoneGSchaner

In September 2007, child support arrears had reached $107 billion. The purpose of this report is to provide information about the individuals who owe child support arrears, estimate how much arrears are likely to be collected, and identify the factors that have led to their rapid growth. We find that most arrears are owed by noncustodial parents who have no or low reported incomes. We estimate that 40 percent of arrears in seven large states are likely to be collected over 10 years. The primary reason arrears have grown is because many states have begun to assess interest on arrears.

This paper analyzes how mental health problems impede low-income mothers' ability to work and how health insurance improves access to mental health treatment services. According to data from the 2002 National Survey of America's Families, low-income mothers in poor mental health are significantly less likely to work and to work full time than those without these problems. Low-income mothers with public or private health insurance are significantly more likely to receive treatment than those without insurance. Mental health problems are an important barrier to work among low-income women, and access to treatment could be improved through increased health insurance coverage.

Increasingly, studies are documenting that engaged older people remain in better health. Volunteering allows older adults to stay active as they reduce the time they devote to paid work. Today, older adults who assign high importance to religion, and those with higher incomes and more education volunteer more often than others, while Hispanics volunteer less often. Policymakers should gauge the value and potential growing demand for more volunteer opportunities as society ages. Initiatives that target older adults with low rates of volunteering could yield some big payoffs.

The job characteristics and attitudes of adult workers age 65 and older reveal a group enjoying work and not anxious to leave the labor market. The fact that many of these workers are self-employed and working part time at jobs with relatively limited physical demands may help to explain their satisfaction with work. Older workers in all wealth groups share these positive attitudes about work. The results suggest work situations pleasing to older adults that could be emulated by other employers and encouraged by public policies with the ultimate goal of increasing health and financial well being of older Americans.

This brief analyzes patterns of engagement among retirees and how engagement relates to their retirement satisfaction using data from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Engaged retirees are significantly more likely to be satisfied with retirement than their non-engaged counterparts, regardless of age, sex, race, marital status, education, mental and physical health, or income. However, retirees who only provide caregiving are significantly less likely to be satisfied. Finally, the authors examine retirement satisfaction by the intensity of engagement, finding that the retirement satisfaction is positively correlated with increasing engagement hours, but only to a point.

Many older Americans continue to make valuable contributions to society long after they withdraw from the labor force. Adults age 55 and older contributed $161.7 billion worth of volunteering and unpaid caregiving in 2002. These activities include caring for family members, helping friends and neighbors, and volunteering for nonprofit organizations. About 74 percent of older adults volunteered their time or provided unpaid care to family members. The value of help provided by older family caregivers alone reached nearly $100 billion in 2002. [View the corresponding press release]

This brief examines the types and intensity of engagement among adults age 55 and older using data from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The results show high levels of engagement, with 80 percent of older adults participating in formal or informal volunteer work, paid work, or caregiving. While engagement varies by age group, activity, and personal characteristics, older engaged Americans contribute an average of 1,300 hours annually to the above activities. The authors conclude with a discussion of the implications of the findings and recommendations for different initiatives that could further increase engagement. [View the corresponding press release]

This brief examines caregiving activities by adults age 55 and older using data from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Nearly 40 percent of people 55 and older and about 50 percent of people 55 to 64 spent time caring for family members in 2002. The average caregiver contributed 580 hours of care to grandchildren, parents, in-laws, and spouses. While men and women were equally likely to give care, women devoted more hours to their families, mostly in grandchild care. The authors conclude with a discussion of the burdens of caregiving and some initiatives intended to ease them. [View the corresponding press release]

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