A Study of the Economic Structure of Baby Boomer Households and the Determinants of Economic Satisfaction in Korea

베이비부머 가계의 경제구조 및 경제적 만족도 분석

Recently, Korean baby boomers, which make up approximately 15% of the total population, have begun to retire. Their economic well being is one of Korea's most important social issues. The purpose of this study was to compare the economic structure of baby boomers' households with that of the prior generation, as well as to analyze the determinants of economic satisfaction from the perspective of "work" and "child educational burden." In addition, group comparisons were made regarding economic resource allocation between baby boomers and the prior generation and within baby boomers of different work and child educational burden statuses. Data from the 2nd wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), including baby boomers and the generation prior to the baby boomers, were used. The major findings were as follows. First, the baby boomers had a different economic structure, level of economic satisfaction, and economic resource allocation when compared to the prior generation. The economic structure of baby boomers in terms of income, expenditure, savings and assets, debts, and trust in policies significantly differed from their counterparts. Second, the determinants of economic satisfaction and the propensity of resource allocation were different depending on whether they worked or had a child educational burden, respectively. Based on these empirical results, policy implications for the future economic well being of baby boomers were provided.