“Compared with male retirees, female retirees will have lower wealth and incomes, higher poverty rates, and a larger share whose incomes are below 45 percent of the national average wage.” Barbara A. Butrica, Senior Research Associate, and Cori E. Uccello, Consultant, Urban Institute

“Wealthier Retirement for Boomer Women?” by Barbara Butrica and Cori Uccello analyzes the economic retirement prospects for aging baby boomer women. The authors note that in absolute terms—measured by higher real household wealth and income, and lower poverty rates—boomer women will be better off than current retiree women. In relative terms, however, measured by post-retirement income relative to workers’ incomes and relative to pre-retirement income, boomer women will be no better off and in some cases, because of race and marital status, will be worse off than current retiree women. Boomer women will need to increase their savings or work longer if they desire to maintain their real living standards.