Employment
Aging and Work -- A View from the United States
Research Report
Sara E. Rix, Ph.D., AARP Public Policy Institute
February 2004
One of the most pronounced labor force trends in the United States in the decades following World War II was the marked decline in participation on the part of the middle-aged and older population. Even so, the United States has one of the highest labor force participation rates for persons aged 65 and older in the developed world, surpassed in 1999-2000 only by Japan, Iceland, and Portugal.
In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, Sara Rix explores trends in the employment and retirement of older Americans over the past 50 years; highlights some of the factors behind those trends; describes where and under what circumstances older persons in the United States are employed; speculates on what the future may hold for older workers; and identifies policies and programs that do or could encourage labor force attachment at later ages. The report focuses on paid employment; it does not examine other unquestionably important productive activities, such as the volunteer work or caregiving in which older men and women often engage. (62 pages)
Pub ID: 2004-02