Research

The New York Retirement and Disability Research Center brings together the CUNY Institute for Demographic Research, the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging, and the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis to illuminate the multifaceted challenges facing older adults and people with disabilities, caused by the political economy, geographical divides, the changing workplace, and climate instability.

The NYRDRC identifies the institutional barriers that exclude and disadvantage people in social insurance programs. We bring together world-class economists, demographers, other social scientists, and their students on 25 university campuses in New York City to advance the inclusivity and effectiveness of the U.S. retirement and disability systems. We know the programs impact some groups—low-income and middle-class workers, migrants, and other historically disadvantaged communities who experience intermittent work, job loss, and life shocks—differently than workers with steady jobs and relatively stable lives. We conduct interdisciplinary research and communicate findings to policymakers and the public. We also foster the growth of emerging scholars. Our community-informed research illuminates how systemic, life-long disparities accumulate to affect old age, retirement, and economic security.

Our aim is to connect and engage a diverse range of students, researchers, advocates, and policymakers to spark collaboration and improve Social Security and related programs. Through our deep ties to communities across New York City, including our diverse student bodies, we identify and investigate emerging issues to inform policy changes and address challenges facing older and disabled workers while they are working and when they are retired.

Related research projects:

The Re-Entry and Disability Application Experiences of Formerly Incarcerated Older Adults

Exploring the Role of Digital Trust in Online Interactions with SSA Services by Beneficiaries

Social Security Administration Experiences of LGBTQ+ Older Adults

Health Insurance Coverage, Household Income, and Poverty Status of Disability Applicants