Total U.S. employment grew by 11,767,000, or 8.5%, in the 20 years ending in December 2020. All that growth, 11,879,000, or 101% of the total was due to increased employment of people age 60 and older. Meanwhile, the net employment change over the past two decades of people ages 16-59 was -112,000 (-1% of the total change), despite this younger … (read more…)
The time is ripe for age-friendly workplaces. Big trends like longer lives and declining birth rates are combining with labor force challenges to make this the perfect time to harness the productivity of older workers and intergenerational work teams.
Employers that value the contributions of older workers (age 50 plus), as well as the … (read more…)
Yes, you read that right! And we know that in a society with changing demographics, older people and intergenerational teams are going to be vital to thriving workplaces and communities. And yet we know barriers stand in the way: Myths and stereotypes about older workers, and outright workplace age discrimination.
I’ve met hundreds of older Coloradans who were unemployed or underemployed, even before the pandemic. In 2020, Changing the Narrative surveyed over 1200 Coloradans age 50+ to find out how COVID-19 affected their work, and what would be helpful. The survey found that:
· 53% had their work status negatively affected by the pandemic
It seems like the newspapers both in Colorado and across the country are filled with headlines about talent shortages and employers not being able to fill jobs, despite still high unemployment rates. We think that there is a practical, smart, and often overlooked solution: Let people in your community know that you value the experience and … (read more…)
Let’s change our language to reflect the Older Americans Month 2021 theme of Communities of Strength. This week marks the first week of Older Americans Month 2021, and it has a powerful theme: Communities of Strength.
The text released from the Administration of Community Living, which sponsors the month, says: “Older adults have built … (read more…)
It began as a casual conversation with my daughters and son-in-law about how to bring generations together to talk about ageism. I’d been reading research that indicated that intergenerational connection and education are effective in reducing ageism.
Ageism, like other “isms”, can come from a lack of experience with people who are not like … (read more…)
For many of us, spring cleaning is an annual ritual to clear our lives of things that weigh us down, and to make way for the new. This year, is it time to clear outdated language that perpetuates negative stereotypes about older people as well? Here are just a few phrases we’d like to see swept to the curb:
In 2018, a national study found that 56% of Americans who entered their fifties with stable employment were laid off or pushed out; only 10% ever recouped financially. According to AARP, 2/3 of people age 45 and older have either experienced or witnessed age discrimination in the workplace.
