Older Workers Essay -- Employment Jobs Essays

Older Workers The aging of the U.S. population is affecting the demographics of the work force. Between 2000 and 2010, the age group experiencing the greatest growth will be those aged 55-64; by 2005, people aged 55 and over are projected to be nearly 20% of the working age population, compared to 12.5% in 1990 (Barber, Crouch, and Merker 1992; Barth, McNaught, and Rizzi 1993). For a number of reasons, including financial need, longer life expectancy, and a desire to continue working, the number of individuals aged 55 and over in the work force is continuing to grow (Hall and Mirvis 1994). It is no longer unusual for individuals to retire from one job, begin drawing a pension, and seek new employment: since 1984, both the full- and part-time work of "retired" men younger than age 65 has increased noticeably (Herz 1995). At the same time that the number of older persons available for and willing to work is increasing, the workplace is changing as businesses seek to become more competitive. The most notable changes include downsizing, increased use of technology, and less-hierarchical work structures that use teams. As a result of technological changes and greater dependence on teams, training and retraining are hallmarks of today's workplace. Older workers have not fared particularly well during these changes. During the downsizing that took place from 1986 through 1991, proportionately more older workers were laid off, and, at the expense of retraining existing employees--especially older workers--firms spend more on training new entrants (Hall and Mirvis 1994). Kantor (1994) refers to the aging work force as a "mixed blessing [because] many companies associate it not with a loyal, experienced workforce knowledgeable ab... ...en." Monthly Labor Review 118, no. 4 (April 1995): 13-20. Kantor, R. M. "U.S. Competitiveness and the Aging Workforce: Toward Organizational and Institutional Change." In Aging and Competition: Rebuilding the U.S. Workforce, edited by J. A. Auerbach and J. C. Welsh. Washington, DC: National Council on the Aging and National Planning Associates, 1994. McNaught, W. "Realizing the Potential: Some Examples." In Age and Structural Lag, edited by M. W. Riley, R. L. Hahn, and A. Foner. New York: Wiley, 1994. Rothstein, F. R., and Ratte, D. J. Training and Older Workers: Implications for U.S. Competitiveness. Washington, DC: Office of Technology Assessment, 1990. (ED 336 608). Siegel, S. R. "Relationships between Current Performance and Likelihood of Promotion for Old versus Young Workers." Human Resource Development Quarterly 4, no. 1 (Spring 1993): 39-50.