Aging Workforce News

Wales: Report Issued on Importance of Older Workers To Boost Economy

2007-09-30T09:18:00.000-04:00

As reported by Aled Blake of the Western Mail, a report issued by the Wales Management Council and Age Concern Cymru shows that more people working past the official retirement age would boost the economy in Wales. The report calls on more to follow the lead of business leaders who continue to work despite their age and warns that employers need to shed negative attitudes towards these workers if they are to capitalise on this reservoir of talent

Among other things, the report--"Older Workers in Wales"--also calls for :

the abolition of the offical retirement age;
training for bosses in how to help staff members to make better choices about retirement;
the introduction of continental style phased retirement, which avoid an abrupt and “often psychologically damaging” end to a person’s working life;
setting aside public funds to help older workers adapt their skills, with grants to help older workers in their search for suitable alternative jobs; and
employers to change their attitudes to flexible and part-time work, while at government level, there should be changes to the state pension regulations to avoid penalising those who stay on in work past the traditional retirement age.

Source: Wesern Mail "Older workers ‘can help economy'" (September 28, 2007)

Korea: Report on Comng Skills Shortages in Manufacturing Advises Industries To Make Better Use of Older Workers

2007-09-29T22:23:00.000-04:00

According to a an article in The Hankyoreh, the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) has announced findings on employment policies for aging workers in South Korea’s leading companies in manufacturing industry including steel, shipbuilding and automobile suggesting that with the workforce of the nation’s manufacturing industry rapidly aging, South Korea will soon be faced with a vacuum in the manufacturing industry similar to the one experienced by Japan when that nation’s baby boom generation retired en masse.

For example, at one steel company, as sales have increased for the past three years, the amount of employees has decreased 9.7% and in the process, the average age of employees has risen to 42.1 from 40.1. At a shipbuilder, the number of department managers rose almost 10 times from 1985 to 2005, but the number of deputy managers has been cut in half, but out of the total number of the company’s manufacturing employees, the ratio of those in their 50s has increased from 16.7% in 1999 to 31.6% in 2006.

[Choi Hee-seon of the KIET] advised industries to introduce a peak salary system, in which older workers would not be forced to retire as they are now, and would be given the option of continuing to be employed with a salary decrease that inversely corresponds to their increasing age. The current system forces retirement at age 58 and offers workers an increasing salary that directly corresponds to increases in age until retirement. Choi says that using the peak salary system would allow companies to make better use of older workers. He also advised improving the work process in order to increase the productivity of middle-aged and elderly workers.

Source: The Hankyoreh "As society ages, S. Korea could face vacuum in manufacturing" (September 21, 2007)

Survey: Younger and Older Workers Appreciate Diversity of Age in the Workplace

2007-09-29T21:23:00.000-04:00

A survey of older and younger employees in the United Kingdom shows that working in a mixed aged workforce is important for both older (66%) and younger (65%) workers with all recognizing the benefits of working with people of mixed ages. In the study commissioned by Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, 40% of older workers believe their younger colleagues teach them skills they previously did not have, while one third of younger workers believe older workers are more likely to work anti-social hours than colleagues their own age.

Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive, Jobcentre Plus commented: "The research shows that having the right balance of age and skills can bring numerous benefits to establishing a complete workforce for both employers and employees. Both older and younger workers appreciate and learn from the qualities each brings to the workplace."

Among other findings in the study:

Younger workers think their older colleagues bring experience (94%), reliability (66%), and understanding (63%);
two thirds of older workers are impressed by their younger co-workers ability to learn quickly, be flexible (61%), and give them energy (51%); and
Younger workers stated that their older colleagues were more likely to be left in charge (60%), while over half of older workers believe their younger colleagues to be more likely to take risks, with 16% commenting that they are also more likely to be given manual tasks.

Source: JobCentre Plus News Release (Sepbember 26, 2007

Related Stories: Globe and Mail "Young, old and in-between: an we all get along?" by Jim Grey September 28, 2007

AJCJobs.com "Younger boss, older worker: Cooperation, communication can overcome age differences" by Karl W. Ritzler September 28, 2007

United Kingdom: Extensive Research Study Highlights Employers' Approach to Older Workers

2007-09-29T19:31:00.000-04:00

A qualitative study looking at how United Kingdom employers are responding to an ageing workforce carried out by the Centre for Research into the Older Workforce (CROW) and published by the Department of Work and Pensions suggests that most employers say they have positive attitudes to older workers, although they are more reluctant to recruit the over-50s and training seems to tail off for this group. Many employers claim to prefer older workers to younger ones, because of their attitudes to work and their experience. Small firms were particularly likely to keep older people on after State Pension Age.

The study--"Employer Responses to an Ageing Workforce"--was authored by Professor Stephen McNair, Director of CROW, Matt Flynn and Nina Dutton and is based on in-depth interviews with either a senior human resource (HR) manager or a general manager at one of 70 firms, across nine occupational sectors, with a wide geographical spread. According to the summary introduction to this 188-page report:

This study has found that awareness of the Age Regulations is high among employers and that, in general, most are sympathetic to avoiding age discrimination in the workplace, although many do not make the connection between this and business needs, partly perhaps because they are unaware of long term demographic trends. Attitudes towards 'older' workers were generally positive, while young people were viewed more negatively and rarely seen as victims of age discrimination. There was a good deal of change in HR practices generally, but rarely as a sole result of the Regulations. Positive practices on retention of existing workers were much more common than active policies on recruitment. Employers were most likely to be anxious about the implementation of the new provisions on retirement, and the management challenges which this might present. In this area defensive responses appeared sometimes to be having the opposite effect to that intended by Government. The attempt to minimise risk and workloads for managers was a common theme. Within the limitations of the sample interviewed, there was no evidence of regional variation in employer behaviour.

Source: Department for Work and Pensions Research Report No 455--"Employer responses to an ageing workforce: a qualitative study" (September 27, 2007)

Survey: Talent Gap Widens as Workforce Ages in G7 Countries

2007-09-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

According to a study conducted by Towers-Perrin on behalf of AARP, as the number of workers reaching traditional retirement years increase in the G7 countries, the marketplace is experiencing a decline in the number of skilled younger workers available to fill in the ranks of those retiring. Thus, suggests AARP, employers must end age discrimination in the workplace if countries and employers are to be best positioned to thrive in the global economy tomorrow.

The study--International Profit from Experience--was released in advance of a conference on the same sponsored by AARP, in partnership with the European Commission, the Business Council for the United Nations and Nikkei. Among the survey's key findings:

Age discrimination is the single largest barrier for those 50+ who want to continue working past their anticipated retirement age, with at least 60% of employees 50+ in each G7 country viewing age discrimination as the primary barrier to securing new jobs;
Older workers in the G7 countries want to continue to work on average an additional 5 years;
Surges of immigration and productivity that might offset the anticipated decline in skilled workers are unlikely to occur; and
Allowing employees to continue working past their traditional retirement age will not only allow older workers to remain in their careers and stay active, but will have a positive impact on an employer’s bottom line.

Line Vreven, Director of AARP International, says that “While the survey clearly identifies the talent gaps emerging within G7 countries, the responses by employers do not sufficiently address this challenge.” In addition, those "nations working to actively retain older workers and are providing incentives, rather than deterrents, to their continued employment, will reap economic gain in the long-run.”

An executive summary of the full 124-page report is also available.

Source: AARP Press Release (September 25, 2007)

Census Bureau Releases Profile of Older Workers in Vermont

2007-09-22T09:42:00.000-04:00

The Census Bureau, under the federal-state Local Employment Dynamics (LED) partnership, has launched a series of reports on workers 55 and older for more than 30 states. Vermont is the third state to be released, to be followed by Indiana, Arkansas and Hawaii. The Vermont report is available online.

Source: Census Bureau What's New (September 20, 1007)

United States: Census Figures Show More Older Workers

2007-09-13T10:33:00.000-04:00

According to the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, nationally, 23.2% of people between the ages of 65 and 74 were in the labor force (either working or looking for work) in 2006--an increase from 19.6% in 2000.

On a regional basis, states with some of the lowest rates of older workers in the labor force included West Virginia (15.7%), Michigan (18.8%) and Arizona (19.4%), while some of the highest rates were found in South Dakota, Nebraska and Washington, D.C., all with about one-third of people in this age group in the labor force.

Among the 20 largest metro areas, Washington, D.C., had the highest percentage of people in the labor force in this age group (31.8%), followed by Boston (28.1%), Dallas-Fort Worth (27.9%), Minneapolis-St. Paul (27.4%), and Houston (26.5%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau News Release (September 12, 2007)

Related Stories: Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Census: Retirement age doesn't mean 65" (September 12, 2007); Washington Post "Area Leads Nation in Putting Off Retirement" (September 12, 2007)

Survey Shows Flexibility of Older Workers, Openness to New Tasks

2007-09-07T11:39:00.000-04:00

Research conducted in the United Kingdom by Talent Q, shows that older workers can often be the most flexible--that as people get older they become increasingly willing to take on new tasks and more varied roles. The research, based on in-depth analysis of over 5,700 workers, challenges the common preconception that older workers are unwilling to accommodate change and that they may be unresponsive to new challenges presented in the workplace.

In other findings, the study showed that older workers are happy to work on their own and take a leading role without the need for much guidance, and that they demonstrate a high level of ability in building successful working relationships with colleagues, clients and suppliers. "While it was shown that workers in their fifties and sixties are much less ambitious than their younger colleagues, this is probably just an indication that they have already achieved their goals or have decided that they are happy with their lot in life."

Steve O’Dell, chief executive of Talent Q, said: “Older people in the workplace might sometimes be viewed as being stuck in their ways and a little less sharp. Our research gives a very different perspective.

“Talent Q found that older workers are less preoccupied about climbing the career ladder and that they tend to be happy, fulfilled and confident. As a result, they are glad to take on new work or projects, and aren’t unduly phased by lots of changes. They tend to plough on regardless--a fact that employers are quickly discovering can be a real benefit to their business."

Source: Taent Q Age Research (September 5, 2007)

Survey: Ageism Isn't Only About Old People

2007-09-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

According to a online poll sponsored by Age Lessons (conducted online by Harris Interactive, plus follow-up interviews by Age Lessons), younger workers [36% of 18-34 year olds] are more likely to say they experienced age discrimination than older, 35+ workers [24%]. Significantly, 93% of respondents said they had “witnessed or experienced” ageism and were hesitant to report it for reasons including a perceived inability to change the status quo, fear of being labeled a problem or getting targeted for future layoffs.

“Ageism isn't about old people, it's about all people. To avoid a ‘war of the ages' in the workplace, companies need to address generational diversity across the age spectrum and develop strategies for leveraging the richness and value-add of a diverse workforce,” noted Laurel Kennedy, Age Lessons president.

Among other findings, younger workers told interviewers that older workers seemed to be “kicked to the curb” at a disproportionately high rate during layoffs. This led them to wonder out loud about how loyalty was being repaid by employers.

Source: Age Lessons Press Release (September 5, 2007)

Economic Analysis by Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Suggests Older Workers Face Reduced Wages

2007-09-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

A working paper issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston provides strong empirical support for this hypothesis that the increasing relative supply of older workers would lower the wage premium paid for older, more experienced workers.

One consequence of demographic change is substantial shifts in the age distribution of the working age population. As the baby boom generation ages, the usual historical pattern of there being a high ratio of younger workers relative to older workers is increasingly being replaced by a pattern of there being roughly equal percentages of workers of different ages.

According to "Population Aging, Labor Demand, and the Structure of Wages" by Margarita Sapozhnikov and Robert K. Triest, econometric estimates imply that the size of one’s birth cohort affects wages throughout one’s working life, with members of relatively large cohorts (at all stages of their careers) earning a significantly lower wage than members of smaller cohorts. The cohort size effect is of approximately the same magnitude for men and for women. Their results suggest that cohort size effects are quantitatively important and should be incorporated into public policy analyses.

These results imply that older workers will face increasingly unfavorable relative labor market conditions as their ranks become crowded by the baby boom generation in the near future. Although the slowing of labor force growth may create tight labor markets, the pecuniary benefits of labor market tightness will disproportionately accrue to younger, less experienced workers. Loss of defined benefit pensions and increases in Social Security’s normal retirement age may result in baby boomers retiring at older ages than did the birth cohorts that immediately preceded them, but the boomers will suffer from the same cohort crowding effects on wages, as they consider retirement that they did earlier in their careers.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Working Paper No. 07-08 (Abstract) (August 27, 2007)

Survey: AARP Finds Many Michigan Members Working Past Traditional Retirement Age

2007-09-05T12:08:00.000-04:00

A mail survey of 3,000 Michigan AARP members age 50 to 62 finds that retiring comfortably at age 62 is not a reality for many of them who expect to work well past the traditional retirement age due to increased longevity and rising health care costs. In the research report written by Erica L. Dinger, J.D., AARP Knowledge Management--"What Retirement? Working and Learning for AARP Members in Michigan", of the 832 members currently working or looking for work:

36% work full-time and 9% part-time;
49% consider it extremely (27%) or very (22%) likely that they will continue working beyond retirement;
54% say health insurance coverage is a major factor in their decision to continue working, while 45% enjoy working, 44% need extra income, and 41% need income to pay for prescription drugs;
37% intend to work at their current jobs as long as possible;
23% think they will retire at age 60-64 and 37% at 65-69; 20% estimate retiring at age 70 or older.

Source: AARP Policy & Research (September 2007)

Australia: ACT Chief Minister Exploring Grandparental Leave

2007-08-29T09:30:00.000-04:00

As part of an effort to examine measures to attract and retain mature workers, Austrialian Capital Territory (ACT) Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has asked the ACT Commissioner for Public Administration to examine the possibility of granting public servants unpaid leave to enable grandparents to look after grandchildren up to the age of two.

Mr Stanhope said that 2005 figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that grandparents were delivering childcare services to more than 660,000 Australian children. Grandparents cared for more than half of the one-year-olds who depended on child care and almost 40% of five-year-olds.

Almost all of the childcare undertaken by grandparents was provided at no cost.

“Our ageing workforce, and our need to retain older workers for longer, means that over time we will need to provide working conditions that better suit mature-age workers,” Mr Stanhope said.

Source: ACT Chief Minister Media Release (August 27, 2007)

Other Sources: ABC News "ACT plans grandparental leave" (August 27, 2007)

Survey: Older Workers More Satisfied with Their Jobs

2007-08-27T23:00:00.000-04:00

A survey released by the University of Chicago study shows that job satisfaction increases with age, with workers over 65 among the most satisfied. According to the report--“Job Satisfaction in America: Trends and Socio-Demographic Correlates”--by Tom W. Smith, Director of the General Social Survey at the National Opinion Center at the University of Chicago, 86% of the people interviewed between 1972 and 2006 said they were satisfied at their jobs, with 48% saying they were very satisfied--for older workers, 71% said they were very satisfied.

Smith said that “job satisfaction is especially high among those 65 and over because most people working at that age are not those forced to still work due to financial reasons, but those who choose to do so because they like their jobs.”

Source: University of Chicago News Release (August 27, 2007)

Canada: Older Workers Staying in the Workforce Longer

2007-08-26T09:21:00.000-04:00

According to a new study published by Statistics Canada, older Canadian workers are staying in the workforce longer and, as a result, may be dampening the threat of a sudden and severe labour shortage as baby boomers retire.

According to the article--"Participation of older workers", in the August 2007 issue of Perspectives on Labour and Income--by Katherine Marshall and Vincent Ferrao, an estimated 2.1 million individuals aged 55 to 64 were either employed or looking for work in 2006, more than double the total in 1976. Additional highlights include:

The main thrust behind the upward trend is women's labour force participation rate, which rose from 38% to 62% between 1976 and 2006 for those aged 55 to 59, and from 24% to 37% for those aged 60 to 64.
One in 4 older workers is self-employed and 1 in 5 works part time. Part-time work is one of the few job characteristics that is notably different for older and core-aged workers (those aged 25 to 54), suggesting transitional changes before retirement.
Two-thirds of older workers who work part time do so from choice compared with only 28% of core-aged, part-time workers.

Source: Statistics Canada The Daily (August 24, 2007)

Other Sources: CTV.ca "Baby boomers staying in workforce longer: study" (August 24, 2007)--followed by posted comments

Singapore: Prime Minister Proposes Mandating Reemployment of Older Workers

2007-08-24T11:32:00.000-04:00

In his National Day Rally speech, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that he will be seeking legislation to require the reemployment of older workers. In addressing the best way for the government to help older workers to stay employed and work longer, the Prime Minister rejected calls for raising the retirement age of 62, since that would discourage employers from hiring older workers.

Accordingly, he called for legislation for reemployment to continue working beyond 62 ad being more flexible for both employers and employees. While a worker would not necessarily get the same job or the same pay, employers must make an offer, taking into account worker’s performance, health and preferences, and company’s needs.

As proposed, the law would take effect from 2012. It would require employers to offer reemployment to workers reaching retirement age, i.e. 62. As a first step, this would go up to 65 age and later would be pushed up to 67. In addition, the government will offer financial incentives for older people to work, and for employers to hire them.

Source: Singapore Government Media Release (August 19, 2007)

Other Sources: Channel NewsAsia "Firms facing Re-employment Act can stay cost-competitive" (August 23, 2007); Bernama.com "Singapore To Make Re-employment Of Older Workers Mandatory" (August 20, 2007)

"Employ the Older Workers Job Fair Series" To Be Held during Autumn

2007-08-23T12:17:00.000-04:00

A partnership between The Employment Guide and AARP Foundation will hold the first of what is to an annual "Employ the Older Workers Job Fair Series" from from August 22 to October 19. The job fair series is a national effort, reaching more than 40 cities, to bring together older workers and 50+-friendly employers, and is being held in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Employ Older Workers Week, Sept. 23-29, 2007.

Source: Employment Guide and AARP Foundation News Release (August 21, 2007)

Canadian Surveys Show that Attention to Health Policies Can Keep Older Workers on the Job

2007-08-19T09:44:00.000-04:00

Derek Sankey, writing for CanWest News Service, picks up on two recent surveys to point out that "tweaking health-care benefit plans could help retain experienced workers for longer, yet most companies plan to reduce those benefits in coming years."

The first survey--the "The sanofi-aventis Healthcare Survey 2007"--reports that about two-thirds of workers aged 55 or older are "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to continue working or return to the workforce after retirement if their employers would offer health benefits that continue into retirement. However, the second survey--conducted by Hewitt Associates--shows taht 57% of organizations plan to reduce post-retirement health-care benefits over the next three years.

However, according to Cathy Course, a senior benefits consultant for Hewitt Associates in Calgary, emerging trends in health-care benefit plans would suggest taht there are ways to combat the increasing costs associated with such a large of number of workers exiting the workforce and wanting extended health benefits, with flexibility being a core concept.

Source: Saskatoon Star Phoenix "Health benefits worker-retention issue" (August 18, 2007)

United Kingdom: TUC Debates Accessibility to Training for Older Workers

2007-08-12T09:03:00.000-04:00

In a web-based debate, TUC assistant general secretary Kay Carberry told her audience that "We need to look at the upper age limit for funding apprenticeships, because most apprenticeship funding at the moment is largely limited to people under 25." Instead of taking the "mistaken" view that once you’ve been around for a few decades that’s it, Carberry said that the priorities were to scrutinise everything that happens in the workplace to make sure that it ‘s free of age discrimination and to train older workers--give them more opportunities than they’ve got now.

Carberry was participating in a live tele-cast debate sponsored by Equal-works on the topic of "The value of experience: older workers, their importance and their rights".

Some employers felt it wasn’t worth investing in training older workers because they weren’t going to be around that long. This was a misconception, she said. It was also wrong to think "that older workers aren’t going to be susceptible to learning new skills because they ‘re getting a bit doddery and they’re getting a bit slow.

"I think there are a lot of people who have worked in one particular field, who get into their late 50’ s early 60’s, don’t want to carry on doing that particular kind of work but would welcome the opportunity to do something a little bit different and quite often they don’t get that opportunity maybe with the same employer, maybe voluntary work.

"What the unions are concerned about is that older workers or workers in other age ranges are not viewed as an undifferentiated lump. We would like to see public policy more finely attuned to individuals needs."

Source: Further Education News "TUC Asst Gen Sec: End discrimination against older workers and open up training to them" (August 11, 2007)

Manpower Inc. and Schneider National Certified as "Age Friendly" Employers

2007-08-10T09:21:00.000-04:00

RetirementJobs.com has independently evaluated and bestowed its "Age Friendly Employer" Certification upon two Wisconsin-based companies: Manpower Inc. and Schneider National, Inc. Certification indicates an employer’s recognition of the value of age 50+ workers, as well as its commitment to take affirmative action in providing meaningful employment, development opportunities and competitive pay and benefits. These two companies join such previously certified national employers as H&R Block, Marriott, REI, Robert Half International, Safeway, and Staples.

Employers who’ve earned RetirementJobs.com Age Friendly Employer Certification must have demonstrated consistent performance on twelve criteria which define best practices that effectively retain and attract a mature workforce to the employer.

Source: RetirementJobs.com Press Release (August 9, 2007)

Canada: Calgary Chamber Recommends Changes To Encourage Older Workers

2007-08-09T10:05:00.000-04:00

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce has recommended changes to the Canadian Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and RRSP programs to remove disincentives and entice older workers to continue in the labour force. The recommendations were made as part of a submission to the Federal Expert Panel on Older Workers.

According to Heather Douglas, President & CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, older workers represent a significant source of underutilized talent and labour supply in the Canadian economy, but the federal government retirement programs do not reflect current and future demographic, retirement and life expectancy realities and create disincentives for older workers to participate in the labour force. The Chamber's submission to the Expert Panel--"Older Workers: Amending Federal Government Retirement Programs to Tap Into an Underutilized Pool of Labour Supply"--recommended several changes that have the potential to encourage 80,000 additional older Albertans to remain in the labour force:

expanding the age range at which people are eligible to access their Canada Pension Plan benefits from 60-70 to 60-75;
amending the Old Age Security program to encourage the most highly skilled and experienced Canadians to continue working after age 65;
working with the provinces to develop harmonized and flexible part-time pension policies that provide incentives for Canadians to gradually transition out of the labour force after age 65.

Source: Calgary Chamber of Commerce News Release (July 30, 2007)

Armenia: Dismissal of Older Lab Workers Raises Concerns

2007-08-08T09:43:00.000-04:00

Yerevan State University's decision to dismiss 65 laboratory workers age 65 or older who had spent years as assistants in the university’s chemistry, biology, and physics labs has raised concerns, according to an article by Sara Khojoyan. While national labor law is on the university rector’s side, since an employer has the right to cancel contracts with workers based on the national retirement age--61 for women and 65 for men, the University trade union president suggests that the workers, who are protesting their dismissal, are raising moral issues that the law does not address.

Source: Transitions Online "Out With the Old" (August 6, 2007)

Survey: EBRI Reports More Older Americans Working Full Time

2007-08-04T19:22:00.000-04:00

According to new research published by Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), there is a trend toward more full-time, full-year work among older workers and that trend can be seen is virtually every demographic group.

Among other things, EBRI writes in "Employment Status of Workers Age 55 and Older" in its August issue of EBRI Notes that:

those aged 55 or older in the labor force increased from about 29% n 1993 to 38% in 2006
those aged 65–69 in the labor force increased from about 18% in 1985 to 29% in 2006.
the percentage of workers age 55 or older who work full time, full year steadily increased from 54% in 1993 to 64% in 2005.
across each race/ethnicity category, the percentage of workers age 55 or older working full time, full year increased from 1987 to 2005.

Source: EBRI News Release (August 2, 2007)

Survey: New England Employers Not Ready for Replacing Aging Workforce

2007-07-25T19:47:00.000-04:00

A survey conducted by the Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA) reports that over 85% of all firms did not have a recruiting strategy in place to offset the impending retirement of the baby boomers from the workplace, and only 5% responded that they did have a plan in place. In addtion, the NEHRA's e-Survey on the Aging Workforce shows 83% of respondents as not having a formalized plan to retain retirement-eligible workers. Of the 7% that reported having one in place, 74% reported flex-time was the best tactic to retain these workers, with job sharing ranked second at 26%, and telecommuting third at 40%.

"We are already facing a talent shortage in the New England area, and with the retirement of the baby boomer generation at hand, it will only get worse," advises Dan Henry, Chairman of the Board of NEHRA. "We hope these findings help generate some serious discussions and solutions for local businesses before any real crises occur."

Source: Northeast Human Resources Association "Aging workforce a challenge for most firms in the region, NEHRA survey says" (July 23, 2007)

Canada: Analysis of Age and the 2006 Census Released

2007-07-20T17:24:00.000-04:00

According to Statistics Canada, data from the 2006 Census shows that the number of seniors aged 65 years and over surpassed the 4-million mark for the first time and that the working-age population (15 to 64 years) is becoming increasingly older. As a result, the proportion of senior citizens has increased from 13.0% in 2001 to 13.7% in 2006--an increase that can be seen at the national level as well as in every province, territory and census metropolitan area (CMA) in the country.

In addition, the report--"Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006, by Age and Sex, 2006 Census"--shows that there are barely enough young people entering the working age group to replace those approaching the age of retirement--between 2001 and 2006, the population aged 15 to 24 increased by only 5.3%; for each person leaving the working age group, there was just over one individual entering it.

Source: Statistics Canada The Daily (July 17, 2007)

Book Review: "Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life"

2007-07-20T09:44:00.000-04:00

Most baby boomers aren’t ready psychologically and far more often aren’t set economically to stop working entirely, writes Vince Carducci, and Marc Freedman is getting a bead on the situation and offers a solution in his new book "Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life."

According to Carducci, Freedman considers that the trend of corporations shedding older employees and slashing payroll and benefit costs is creating a tremendous waste of human capital. While he goes through policy issues that are underlying this trend or contributing to the problems, he also profiles individuals who are part of the solution. In particular, he focuses on career shifts and "highlights several innovative programs that give an idea as to how we might usher in what he terms the 'encore society.'”

Wonks will debate these and other proposals Freedman puts forth, but average readers will no doubt be most interested in the self-help section at the end of the book. Freedman provides a self-reflection matrix—Are you a “recycler,” leveraging your past experience to enter a new field? Or, are you a “changer” looking to start anew? Are you a “maker,” trying to mold an interest into a career, turning an avocation into a vocation? Whatever your persuasion, Freedman offers online resources, networking ideas and other tips to help you follow your bliss in a more well-managed way.

Source: PopMatters.com "Work, the Sequel" (July 17, 2007)