Work Options for Older Americans

“This conference volume is a collection of 11 articles that examine the economic and labor-relations aspects of an aging workforce in the United States. While the articles span a variety of topics, the underlying question throughout the book is: given the inevitability of demographic changes, how can we make the continued labor force participation of older works a positive experience for both employers and employees? This book considers a variety of policy options that may encourage or facilitate work at older ages. Those interested in issues surrounding employment and older workers will find the collection of interest.” —Journal of Pension Economics and Finance

“Eleven papers and nine comments examine how workplaces have, and might yet, adapt to and accommodate an aging work force.” —Journal of Economic Literature

“Ghilarducci and Turner present the results of a conference convened by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which brought together a group of scholars, predominantly economists, to address key questions about older workers in the American workforce.” —Reference and Research Book News

“Research by economists and other scholars on the policy implications of an expected major increase in the number of older Americans who continue to work.” —The Chronicle of Higher Education

"While mandatory retirement has been eliminated in the United States, there are a myriad of policies and practices surrounding pensions, social security, pension law, tax law, employment practices, labor contracts, health care, and health benefits, all of which may have an impact on the decision to work or retire. The editors have assembled a technical volume that systematically addresses many of these issues that are considered on a daily basis by employees and employers." —Scott A. Bass, Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

“This collection provides an original, interesting, and useful reference book for scholars and students in numerous disciplines including gerontology, economics, social work, and public policy studies.” —Rose Rubin, University of Memphis

"The editors have done an excellent job of compiling some very valuable and interesting papers on working longer. With improvements in health and life expectancy, the decreasing physical requirements of work, and our financing shortfalls, the options of working longer, phased retirement, and more flexibility for retirement ages in retirement plans can be winners. In particular, I found the Introduction's synopsis of the papers by itself worth the price of the book." —Ron Gebhardtsbauer, American Academy of Actuaries

"While demographic forces make it inevitable that social institutions that encouraged workers to retire in their early sixties must change, this book shows that how we make these changes will have substantial implications on the risk of poverty and the general level of economic well being of older populations. Its theme is that policy changes that encourage those able to work at older ages to do so must not come at the expense of our current system's protection of those less able to work. This is an important book for those interested in understanding how recent changes in the United States retirement system are impacting the employment and economic well-being of older workers." —Richard V. Burkhauser, Sarah Gibson Blanding Professor of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University