Generation X and the Restructuring of Retirement: Cohort, Institutional Context, and Social Class in U.S. Wealth Inequality

Retirement wealth is a core indicator of financial security, autonomy, and inequality in later life. This paper examines how cohort, institutional context, and social class interact to shape retirement wealth, focusing on Generation X. Gen X occupies a critical but understudied position in the life course between peak earning years and full retirement; they also came of age during a major restructuring of the U.S. economy that shifted financial risk from institutions to individuals. I compare Gen X retirement wealth to that of adjacent cohorts, evaluating how different asset and debt types contribute to cohort differences in retirement readiness. I also examine intra-cohort inequality by wealth class. Findings suggest that retirement wealth inequality is especially severe among those nearing and exiting the labor force. The analyses highlight how long-term economic security is socially structured and historically contingent—making retirement wealth a powerful lens for understanding inequality across time and class.

Duke Scholars

Author Lisa A. Keister Sociology