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** Apologies for cross-posting ** SOCIAL SECURITY AND THE LABOUR MARKET IN AN AGEING SOCIETY An international conference organised by the Foundation for International Studies of Social Security (FISS) CALL FOR PAPERS The twelfth annual FISS International Research Seminar on Issues in Social Security will take place at the Sigtunahöjden Conference Centre in Sigtuna, near Stockholm, Sweden, on 11-13 June 2005. The theme of the seminar will be ‘Social security and the labour market in an ageing society’ Population ageing – due to increased longevity and declining fertility - and early retirement represent major challenges to social security systems in the advanced welfare states. Apart from an increased dependency ratio, these trends threaten to create future labour shortages. This has prompted many advanced welfare states to introduce policies to raise the employment rate among older workers and people on the margins of the labour market. Meanwhile, immigration offers the prospect of boosting the supply of younger workers and reducing the age dependency ratio, but also poses challenges of its own. This seminar will address the following issues: to what extent could immigration prevent future labour supply shortages? Would high levels of immigration improve the dependency ratio but at the same time undermine public support for current levels of social protection? Should, and if so could, anything be done to increase fertility rates? Can the trends toward early retirement and premature exit from the labour market be reversed? Should people be encouraged to work beyond official retirement age and what might be done to persuade them to do so? Could more be done to enable carers - people who provide unpaid care for sick, disabled or elderly people – to combine their care-giving responsibilities with paid employment? Papers are invited on any aspect of the general theme of the seminar. They should be based on research or scholarship and written with an international audience in mind. Papers that are international in perspective or based on comparative research are especially welcome. It is anticipated that a selection of the papers will be included in an edited volume within the FISS book series ‘International Studies on Social Security’. Those wishing to present a paper should submit by email attachment a title and an abstract (of less than 500 words) in English before 11 February 2005 to the FISS Secretariat at lg11 @york.ac.uk. Those who have submitted an abstract will be notified by 28 February 2005 whether their paper has been accepted and be given detailed formatting instructions. FISS is able to offer two Han Emanuel Scholarships - covering the registration fee, accommodation and cost of travel - for full-time PhD students presenting a paper at the seminar. ----------------------------------------------------------- Foundation for International Studies on Social Security (FISS) SPRU, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, Great Britain Email: [log in to unmask]