European Centre

Position
Director Research

Previous positions
Senior Economist, Social Policy Division,Directorate Employment Labour and Social Affairs, OECD, Paris.
Economic Adviser, Department for Work and Pensions, London.
Research Officer, London School of Economics, London.

Education
PhD Economics, University of Oxford,
MA Economic Policy and Planning, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague

Contact details
European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Berggasse 17, A-1090 Vienna
Tel: +43-1-319 45 05-26
Fax: +43-1-319 45 05-19
Email: Zaidi

Research interests
Population ageing and its consequences; Pension policy and its reforms; Costs of disability; Pensioner poverty; Income and poverty dynamics; Dynamic microsimulation modelling

External Affilliations
Research Associate at CASE, London School of Economics
Research Affiliate at German Socio-Economic Panel Study, DIW Berlin
Vice President, International Microsimulation Association.

TV interview
The Spanish government have proposed to raise the country's official retirement age, from 65 to 67. This move is considered by many as an essential pension policy change in coping with rapidly ageing population. However, many (including workers' unions in Spain) are opposing this forced delay in retirement. Asghar Zaidi participated as the expert on the European Pension System in the debate on the International News Channel France 24, arguing that the proposal is the step in the right direction. Other European countries should also consider raising their retirement age (or linking contribution requirements for pensions with changes in the life expectancy). For the full interview, click here

Selected publications

“New Deal in a New Light”, Public Service Review: European Union, London, 2009.
“Socio-Economic Differences in Mortality: Implications for Pensions Policy”, Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers no. 71, OECD, Paris, 2008. (with E. Whitehouse);
“Disabled Children, Poverty and Extra Costs”, in: J. Strelitz and R. Lister (Eds.), Why Money Matters: Family Income, Poverty and Children’s Lives, Save the Children, UK, 2008 (with T. Burchardt)
“Trends and Priorities of Ageing Policies in the UN-European Region”, In: Regional Dimensions of the Ageing Situation, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York, 2008 (with B. Marin);
“Pension Policy in EU25 and its Impact on Pension Benefits”, The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 15(3): 229-311, 2007 (with A. Grech);
“Welfare Indicators of Income Experience during Old Age”, In: B. Marin and A. Zaidi (eds.) Mainstreaming Ageing: Indicators to Monitor Progress and Policies, Ashgate, 2007 (with K. Rake, J. Falkingham and B. Gustafsson)
“Work over the life-cycle”, In: N. Crafts, I. Gazeley and A. Newell (eds.), Work and Pay in Twentieth Century Britain, Oxford University Press, January, 2007 (with P. Johnson).
“Comparing incomes when needs differ: Equivalisation for the extra costs of disability in the UK”, Review of Income and Wealth, Series 51, Number 1, March 2005 (with T. Burchardt).
"Income dynamics within retirement in Great Britain and Germany", Ageing and Society, Volume 25, Issue 04, July, 2005 (with J. Frick and F. Buechel)
"The myth of worksharing", Labour Economics, 11, 293 – 313, 2004 (with A. Kapteyn.and A. Kalwij).
"Trends in consumption-based poverty and inequality in the Member States of the European Community", Journal of Population Economics, 14(2), 367-390, 2001 (with K. De Vos)
"Sensitivity of Equivalence Scales for Poverty Statistics in the Member States of the European Community", Review of Income and Wealth, Series 43, No. 3, 1997 ((with K. De Vos)

Downloads
CV Asghar Zaidi
pdf, 219 KB, 2009-11-05

Publication Asghar Zaidi
pdf, 239 KB, 2009-11-05

Book I: Mainstreaming Ageing. Indicators To Monitor Sustainable Policies
pdf, 3 KB, 476784

Book II: Well-being of Older People in Ageing Societies
pdf, 205 KB, 2008-09-26

Information on the Author of Book II: Well-being of Older People in Ageing Societies
pdf, 56 KB, 2008-09-29

Book III: New Frontiers in Microsimulation Modelling
pdf, 599 KB, 2009-09-11