Older Workers

The contributions of older workers will become increasingly important as the boomers age and the supply of younger workers stagnates. Although older Americans’ employment rates have increased over the past 15 years, many seniors faces significant obstacles in the workplace. Our research examines how older Americans fare in the workplace, when people choose to retire, and how public policies and private-sector practices affect work decisions.

Data at a Glance

Employment and Earnings among 50+ People of Color (2011)
How Did 50+ Workers Fare in 2010? (2011)
Unemployment Statistics on Older Americans (2011)
Older Workers: Opportunities and Challenges (2010)
Raising Social Security's Retirement Age (2010)
Older Adults’ Labor Force Participation since 1993: A Decade and a Half of Growth (2010)
Data Appendix for Older Adults' Labor Force Participation since 1993: A Decade and a Half of Growth (2010)
Older Americans in the Labor Force (2008) charts | underlying data
Should People Work Longer and Will They? (2007)
Are Employers Willing To Hire and Retain Older Workers? (2007)

Overview of Issues

How Did Older Workers Fare in 2009? (2010)
It's Not Easy Being Gray: The New Rules of Retirement (2009)
Capitalizing on the Economic Value of Older Adults’ Work: An Urban Institute Roundtable (2008)
Work: How Boomers Are Changing It (2008)
Work Impediments at Older Ages (2006)
Enjoying the Golden Work Years (2006)
Working to Fix Our Fiscal Woes (2006)

Work and Retirement: Patterns and Incentives

Employment and Earnings among 50+ People of Color (2011)
50+ African American Workers: A Status Report, Implications, and Recommendations (2011)
Work and Retirement Patterns for the G.I. Generation, Silent Generation, and Early Boomers: Thirty Years of Change (2010)
How Did Older Workers Fare in 2009? (2010)
Rising Senior Unemployment and the Need to Work at Older Ages (2009)
50+ Hispanic Workers: A Growing Segment of the U.S. Workforce (2009)
Older Workers on the Move: Recareering in Later Life (2009)
Do Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs Delay Retirement? (2008)
full report | related brief
Racial Differences in Baby Boomers’ Retirement Expectations (2007)
What Happens to Health Benefits After Retirement? (2007)
Job Changes at Older Ages (2007)
Why Do Boomers Plan to Work So Long? (2006)
full report | related brief | commentary
Working for a Good Retirement (2006) full report | related brief
The Implicit Tax on Work at Older Ages (2006)
Work Impediments at Older Ages (2006)
Enjoying the Golden Work Years (2006)
Does Work Pay at Older Ages? (2004)
Do Spouses Coordinate Their Retirement Decisions? (2004)
Employment, Social Security, and Future Retirement Outcomes for Single Mothers (2003)
Legal and Institutional Impediments to Partial Retirement and Part-Time Work by Older Workers (2002) full report | related brief | commentary

Work Ability

Work Ability and the Social Insurance Safety Net in the Years Prior to Retirement (2010)
full report | related brief
Financial Hardship before and after Social Security’s Eligibility Age (2009)
Employment at Older Ages and the Changing Nature of Work (2008)
full report | related brief
The Impact of Late-Career Health and Employment Shocks on Social Security and Other Wealth (2007) full report | related brief
When the Nest Egg Cracks: Financial Consequences of Health Problems, Marital Status Changes, and Job Layoffs at Older Ages (2006)
full report | related brief | 2-page summary | commentary
Trends in Job Demands among Older Workers, 1992-2002 (2004)
Can Americans Work Longer? (1999)