Areas of research

• Working careers and pension provision
• Youth employment and early career development
• Education and extending working lives
• Pension systems and pension provision in international comparison

Presentation

My research focuses on the development of pension systems and provision from an international comparative perspective. In particular, I am interested in how changes in working careers affect pension provision. Furthermore, I am interested in gender equality, the life-cycle effects of social policies, and the development of welfare states more generally.

As Deputy Head of Research, I am in charge of the Finnish Centre for Pensions research webinars and visiting researcher programme. I am active in various international research and expert networks, working to promote the use of research evidence in policy-making.

• CV (pdf)
• ORCID
• ResearchGate
• Google Scholar

Ongoing research projects

• Työurien alku ja nuorten työmarkkinakiinnittyminen (Early career development and youth labour market attachment)
• Eläketurvan rakenteelliset uudistukset – kansainvälinen vertailu (Paradigmatic pension reforms – an international comparison)

Read more: Ongoing Research Projects

Publications

• Vaalavuo, M. & Nelson, K. & Kuitto, K. (eds.) (2025) Social Sustainability in Ageing Welfare States. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Kuitto, K. & Lee, K. (2025) How to make extending working lives in ageing welfare states socially sustainable, in: Vaalavuo, M. & Nelson, K. & Kuitto, K. (eds.) (2025) Social Sustainability in Ageing Welfare States. Edward Elgar Publishing. 140–165.
• Vaalavuo, M. & Kuitto, K. & Nelson, K. (2025) Introduction to Social Sustainability in Ageing Welfare States, in: Vaalavuo, M. & Nelson, K. & Kuitto, K. (eds.) (2025) Social Sustainability in Ageing Welfare States. Edward Elgar Publishing. 1–13.
• Kuitto, K. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2025) Koulutustason nousu työurien pidentymisen taustatekijänä – eurooppalainen vertailu [Rising educational attainment as a determinant of longer working lives – a European comparison]. Työpoliittinen aikakauskirja 2025:1, 46–65.
• Kuivalainen, S. & Kuitto, K. et al. (2025) Työurien kehitys ja työeläkejärjestelmän sosiaalinen ja taloudellinen kestävyys. Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön toimeksiannosta tehty TyEL 218 a §:n mukaisen selvityksen väliraportti [Development of working careers and social and economic sustainability of the earnings-related pension system]. Eläketurvakeskuksen raportteja 01/2025. Finnish Centre for Pensions.
• Järnefelt, N. & Pyrylä, A. & Laaksonen, M. & Pekkala, P. & Kuitto, K. & Karjalainen, T. (2024) Työurien mittaaminen ja työurien pituuden kehitys eri väestöryhmissä. [Measuring career lengths and the development of career lengths among different population groups] Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 9/2024. Finnish Centre for Pensions.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. & Möhring, K. & Palomäki, L.-M. (2024) A long arm of adversity? Financial hardship during the life course and income in retirement. European Societies. | Accepted manuscript version.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. (2024) Educational expansion as a driver of longer working lives? Regression decomposition analysis of changes in labour force participation at older ages in twenty-first century Europe. Comparative Population Studies 49: 141–168.
• Järnefelt, N. & Kuitto, K. & Kyyrä, T. & Paukkeri, T. & Ravaska, T. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2024) Sosiaaliset normit ohjaavat eläkkeelle jäämistä [Social norms guide retirement decisions]. Policy Brief – SustAgeable 1/2024.
• Palomäki, L.-M. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. (2024) What it means to be poor: Dimensions of economic hardship among older people living in poverty across Europe. Ageing & Society (Ahead of print). | Accepted manuscript version.
• Hofäcker, D. & Kuitto, K. (eds.) (2023) Youth Employment Insecurity and Pension Adequacy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Hofäcker, D. & Kuitto, K. (2023) Introduction to Youth Employment Insecurity and Pension Adequacy, in: Hofäcker, D. & Kuitto, K. (eds.) 2023. Youth Employment Insecurity and Pension Adequacy. Edward Elgar Publishing. 1–13.
• Ilmakunnas, I. & Kuitto, K. (2023) Employment in youth and pension accumulation in Finland – How recent pension reforms account for early career employment, in: Hofäcker, D. & Kuitto, K. (eds.) 2023. Youth Employment Insecurity and Pension Adequacy. Edward Elgar Publishing. 90–104.
• Kuivalainen, S. & Rantala, J. & Ahonen, K. & Kuitto, K. & Palomäki, L.-M. & Liukko, J. (eds.) (2022) Eläkkeet ja eläkeläisten toimeentulo: kehitys vuosina 1995-2020 [Pensions and pensioners’ economic wellbeing – Development from 1995 to 2020]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 6/2022. Eläketurvakeskus.
• Palomäki, L. & Kuitto, K. & Kuivalainen, S. & Riekhoff, A.-J. (2022) Size or Content of the Pie? Source of Income and Perceived Income Adequacy of Older Europeans. Journal of Aging & Social Policy. OnlineFirst 18 Sep 2022.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. (2022) Educational differences in extending working lives: Trends in effective exit ages in 16 European countries. Finnish Centre for Pensions, Studies 02/2022. Finnish Centre for Pensions.
• Kuivalainen, S. & Kuitto, K. (2022) Finland: Pension reforms in Finland. In: Kolaczkowski, J. & Stevens, Y. & Maher, M. & Werbrouk, J. M. (eds.) The Evolution of Supplementary Pensions: 25 Years of Pension Reform. Edward Elgar. 77–98.
• Helmdag, J. & Kuitto, K. (2022) The Politics of Unemployment Benefit Reforms. In: Baltz, E. & Kosanke, S. & Pickel, S. (eds.) Parties, Institutions and Preferences. The Shape and Impact of Partisan Politics. Springer VS. 261–297.
• Kautto, M. & Kuitto, K. (2021) The Nordic Countries. In: Béland, D. & Morgan, K. J. & Obinger, H. & Pierson, C. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State. 2nd edition. Oxford University Press. 803–825.
• Kuitto, K. & Kuivalainen, S. (2021) Gender inequalities in family leaves, employment and pensions in Finland. In: Aidukaite, J. & Hort, S. E. O. & Kuhnle, S. (eds.) Challenges to the Welfare State: Family and Pension Policies in the Baltic and Nordic Countries. Edward Elgar. 161–180. | Accepted manuscript version.
• Kuitto, K. & Hietaniemi, M. & Vidlund, M (2021) Finland. In: Schneider, S. M. & Petrova, T. & Becker, U. (eds.) Pension Maps. Visualising the Institutional Structure of Old Age Security in Europe and Beyond. Second edition. Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy. 141–154.
• Kuitto, K. & Madia, J. E. & Podestá, F. (2021) Public Pension Generosity and Old-Age Poverty in OECD Countries. Journal of Social Policy, FirstView 07 July 2021. | Accepted manuscript version.
• Kuitto, K. & Kuivalainen, S. & Möhring, K. (2021) Special Issue: Inequalities in Pensions and Retirement: Life-Courses and Pension Systems in Comparative Perspective. Social Policy & Administration, 55(3).
• Kuitto, K. & Kuivalainen, S. & Möhring, K. (2021) Inequalities in pensions and retirement from a life course perspective: An introduction. Social Policy & Administration, 55(3): 403–408.
• Kuitto, K. & Helmdag, J. (2021) Extending working lives: How policies shape retirement and labour market participation of older workers. Social Policy & Administration, 55(3): 423–439.
• Ilmakunnas, I. & Kuitto, K. & Kuivalainen, S. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Salonen, J. (2021) Nuorten työskentely ja eläkkeen karttuminen vuosien 2005 ja 2017 eläkeuudistusten näkökulmasta [Work and pension accrual of young Finns from the point of view of the 2005 and 2017 pension reforms]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 01/2021.
• Kuitto, K. & Riekhoff, A.-J. & Palomäki, L.-M. (2021) The financial situation across the life course, in: Komp-Leukkunen, K. (ed.) Life-histories in Finland: First results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Väestoliitto, Population Research Institute. 50–61.
• Kuitto, K. & Kuivalainen, S. (2020) Pensions. In: Ellison, N. & Haux, T. (eds.) Handbook on Society and Social Policy. Edward Elgar Publishing. 279–290.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. & Palomäki, L.-M. (2020) Substitution and spill-overs between early exit pathways in times of extending working lives in Europe. International Social Security Review, 73(2). | Accepted manuscript version.
• Kuitto, K. & Salonen, J. & Helmdag, J. (2019) Gender Inequalities in Early Career Trajectories and Parental Leaves: Evidence from a Nordic Welfare State. Social Sciences, 2019, 8, 253: 1–17 (Special Issue on Family and Work: Parental Leave and Careers, edited by Ann-Zofie Duvander & Alison Koslowski).
• Kuitto, K. & Salonen, J. & Helmdag, J. (2019) Perhevapaat työurariskinä? Trajektorianalyysi nuorten aikuisten työurapoluista [Parenting leaves as career risk? Trajectory analysis on early career paths of young adults]. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 2:2019, 197–205.
• Kuivalainen, S. & Nivalainen, S. & Järnefelt, N. & Kuitto, K. (2018) Length of working life and pension income: Empirical evidence on gender and socioeconomic differences from Finland. Journal for Pension Economics and Finance, First View 27 September 2018.
• Helmdag, J. & Kuitto, K. (2018) Independent policy learning: Contextual diffusion of active labour market policies, in: Dunlop, C. & Radaelli, C. & Trein, P. (eds.) Learning in Public Policy. Analysis, Modes and Outcomes. Palgrave. 317–346. | Accepted manuscript version.
• Kuitto, K. (2018) Measuring welfare entitlement generosity in developing welfare states: the case of post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Social Indicators Research 136(1): 203–224 (First Online 17 December 2016).
• Kuivalainen, S. & Rantala, J. & Ahonen, K. & Kuitto, K. & Palomäki, L.-M. (eds.) (2017) Eläkkeet ja eläkeläisten toimeentulo 1995–2015 [Pensions and pensioners’ economic welfare 1995–2015]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 01/2017.
• Ahonen, K. & Kuitto, K. & Palomäki, L.-M. (2017) Eläkeikäisten toimeentulo ja pienituloisuus eurooppalaisessa vertailussa [Income and poverty of retirees in a European comparison]. In: Kuivalainen, S. & Rantala, J. & Ahonen, K. & Kuitto, K. & Palomäki, L.-M. (eds.) Eläkkeet ja eläkeläisten toimeentulo 1995–2015 [Pensions and pensioners’ economic welfare 1995–2015]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 01/2017.
• Vidlund, M. & Väänänen, N. & Mielonen, A. & Kuitto, K. (2017) Pension system design and intergenerational redistribution: applying Musgrave’s rule in a comparative setting. Review of Sociology 27(4): 40–60.
• Kuitto, K. (2016) From social security to social investment? Compensating and social investment welfare policies in a life course perspective. Journal of European Social Policy 26(5), 442–459.
• Kuitto, K. (2016) Post-Communist Welfare States in European Context: Patterns of Welfare Policies in Central and Eastern Europe. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Kuitto, K. (2016) Miten mitata eläketurvan riittävyyttä? [How to measure the adequacy of pensions?] Työeläke 2:2016, 12–13.
• Scruggs, L. & Jahn, D. & Kuitto, K. (2014) Comparative Welfare Entitlements Dataset 2. Version 2014-03. University of Connecticut and University of Greifswald.