Work Force Trends
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2005-04-26 16:10:18
AARP has been tracking and studying work force trends for many years. We consistently find that older workers want to continue working and to have viable work options later in life. But how do employers feel? The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by the end of this decade, workers 55 and older will comprise 20 percent of the work force (compared to 13 percent in 2000), and the United States will face critical shortages of qualified workers. But most employers are doing very little to accommodate and adapt to the aging work force.
In September we released "Staying Ahead of the Curve: The AARP Work and Career Study," which looks at the perspectives and needs of workers ages 45-74. This study leaves little doubt that many workers 45-plus want to remain engaged in work past the traditional retirement age, but they often want to finish their careers in different roles and on different terms. Some want to work part time or start their own businesses. Many like the appeal of bridge jobs that sustain them, offer new experiences and provide work-life flexibility.
Yet the majority of workers 45-plus continue to work for practical reasons. Money is one of the primary reasons (80 percent believe that most people cannot afford to retire altogether). And an increasing number say they work in large part because they need health care coverage, reflecting the dramatically rising cost of health care and growing anxieties many aging Americans have about their health security.
Workers 45-plus, especially baby boomers ages 45 to 56, also struggle to balance work and family responsibilities. Boomers frequently are sandwiched between the need to care for their children and for their aging parents. At the same time, they worry about age discrimination in the workplace. Unfortunately, these fears are founded in reality. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the number of age discrimination complaints filed in 2002 is nearly 25 percent higher than in 2000, making age discrimination the fastest-growing EEOC category.
Our nation has a long way to go in adapting to an aging work force. At AARP we are continuing to educate both employers and employees and to advocate on behalf of older workers. We recently conducted our second annual survey of the best companies for workers 50-plus. The policies and practices of these companies make me optimistic that more and more business leaders are beginning to recognize the need to stay ahead of the curve. That is good news not just for older workers, but for America as well.
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