The workforce in America is growing older. Many workers are approaching the standard retirement age and if they retire as scheduled, there will be a shortage of workers available to meet the demands of today's businesses. To make sure they have adequate personnel, American businesses have to take a new approach. Especially in manufacturing jobs where technology requires constant training.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of workers aged 65 and over has grown by 101 percent from 1977-2007. As America's workforce ages it creates two trends: There are fewer newer, younger workers and a larger percentage of workers are approaching retirement age. There are over 69 million workers over the age of 40 representing 48 percent of the entire American workforce. And this figure is growing. Soon, one out of five people in the workforce will be 55 or older (U.S. Department of Labor, 2008).
But as we are living longer, Americans desire to work past retirement age. The AARP reports that 70 percent of employees aged 45 and older plan on working past age 65. To keep America productive, older people need to keep working, ideally by training younger co-workers. The desire to work is there by the older worker; they need to keep busy or they need the finances.
As we are dependant more and more on computers, baby boomers need to keep up with this technology. Employers must cater their training to facilitate older workers and keep them past the standard retirement age. They can do this by offering more flexibility in work schedules and by using business products that are more "user friendly" (AARP, 2008).
[...] This translates into more blacks and Hispanics working more in blue collar type jobs. Working harder takes more of a toll on the body. a substantial part of the race difference in labor force participation among older men is due to race differences in capacity to work” (Quadagno, 2011). Hispanics and blacks also tend to support their elderly parents more than whites (AARP, 2008). Therefore, some Hispanic and black aged can stop working earlier due to the fact that their children take them into their home. [...]
[...] In percent of married women (aged 35 44) were in the workforce. By percent of this same age group was employed. This dramatic increase is due mainly to the entrance of young mothers into the workforce and the need for a second income in the home. Hispanic and black females have lower rates of participation than their white counterparts but this figure too is changing. Probably because the only jobs available to black and Hispanic females, before the Civil Rights Act of 1965, were as domestic servants (Quadagno, 2011). [...]
[...] Personally, I plan on working as long as I can physically do my job. I would like to retire at 67 but more and more, I see this as an option. I will probably follow the trends of most aged workers and gradually slip into part time employment rather than fully retire. The statistics are clear: America's workforce is becoming older and if America is to remain competitive in a global economy, businesses and the government must make provisions for them. [...]
[...] (2011). Aging and the Life Course. An Introduction to Social Gerontology. New York, N.Y: McGraw-Hill The American Association of Retired People. (2008). Staying Ahead of the Curve 2007. Retrieved from: http://www.aarp.org/work/work-life/info-10- 2008/2007_Staying_Ahead_of_the_Curve.html U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008). Older Workers. [...]
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