Women's pension build-up still trailing

For Dutch women, the labour-related pension component (which is supplementary to the state old age pension)  was significantly lower that that for men at the end of 2005. Older women in particular have built up less pension through labour.

Women’s pension build-up moving upwards

In the group aged over 55, the pension women had built up was 80 percent lower than that for men. For 40-50 year-old women, it was half of that of men of the same age.
The rising line in pension build-up among women can be explained by the fact that more women have been working in recent decades, and that they have also had better paid jobs. Moreover, since the beginning of the nineties the unequal treatment of men and women, and of part-time and full-time workers in pension schemes has been disallowed.

Labour component in built-up pension in pension funds, 31 December 2005*

Lowest build-up for married women

Married women had built up the smallest pension amounts through labour at the end of 2005, women who had never married had the highest claims. For older women in particular this is the outcome of the traditional pattern in which men worked and women stayed at home. Divorced and widowed women sometimes re-entered the labour process at later ages and subsequently built up a pension. Unmarried women are in the labour process for the longest periods and therefore build up the highest pension.

Labour component in women’s built-up pension in pension funds,  31 December 2005*

Highest pension amounts for older Surinamese women

Surinamese women aged 50 years and older had built up the most pension from labour in December 2005, also compared with native Dutch women of the same age. Older Surinamese, but also Antillean and Aruban women have been active on the labour market for a longer period, among other things because they are more likely to be unmarried. For women up to the middle age group, the differences in pension build-up between native Dutch women on the one hand and Surinamese, Antillean and Aruban women on the other are small.

Labour component in women’s built-up pension in pension funds, by ethnic origin,  31 December 2005*

Wim de Rooij and Alex Hellenthal