Pen studied at the University of Amsterdam, where in 1950 he received his PhD with a thesis concerning the theory of collective wage negotiations.

Pen gave his farewell lecture in 1986, but remained active as emeritus professor at the Faculty of Economics FEW.

In this graph families or individuals are added along on the x-axis ranked from poor to rich, while the level of income is indicated on the y-axis.

In the 1975 novel Onder professoren about the academic scene in Groningen Willem Frederik Hermans referred to Jan Pen with the fictional character Tabe Pap.

The Jan Pen-prijs is an annual award by the University of Groningen for high school students, who made the best work in the field of economy and society.