Research Report Employment at Older Ages and the Changing Nature of Work
Richard W. Johnson, Gordon B. Mermin, Len Nichols
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About 7 percent of American workers held highly physically demanding jobs in 2006, and 35 percent held highly cognitively demanding jobs. The share of the workforce in physically demanding jobs fell by about one-sixth between 1971 and 2006, while the share in cognitively demanding jobs increased by more than one-third. Stressful occupations also grew rapidly over the past 35 years. The decline in physically demanding occupations will likely improve employment prospects for older adults, but the growth in cognitive demands may limit options for some older people, especially those with limited education.

Research Areas Aging and retirement
Tags Workplace and industry studies Pensions Retirement policy