Increasing the Retirement Age: Points for and Against

Abstract

The article provides an argument the need for raising the retirement age and an analysis of the actual socio-economic situation of the Russian population, in-dicating the country’s unpreparedness for reform. The actual life expectancy of the population of the Russian Federation does not match the expected, as well as the duration and standard of living of the population of developed countries. The incidence of residents of many regions of Russia is growing morbidity. The level of actual labor remuneration and, accordingly, the potential amount of pensions not lower than 40% of the salary according to international requirements will not allow for ensuring the necessary quality of life for pensioners. The extension of the retirement age will not fill the lack of qualified personnel in the economy. The ratio of working-age population and pensioners is relatively stable. The neces-sary expenses for the implementation of pension reform may exceed the budget savings from raising the retirement age. It is proposed to introduce a deferral of the entry into force of the adopted law on pension reform and to carry out pur-poseful preparatory work in the system of health care, pension system, economic regulation of prices and tariffs, in other areas. This will allow, when the economy and society will be ready, to return to the question of the need to raise the retire-ment age.