Good News for Older Workers

A growing number of studies explode myths about older workers. Here are some quick facts.

The biggest growth segment by age in labor force participation is among workers over age 50. Workers age 50 or older now comprise 33.4% of the U.S. labor force, up from 25% in 2002.

Another myth is that older workers cannot find or hold full-time jobs. Not true. More than 60% of workers age 65 or older hold full-time positions, up from 44% in 1995.

Another myth: Workplaces aren’t well-suited for older workers. According to economist David Powell, “We have more older-worker-friendly jobs now than we used to.” He notes the decline in manufacturing and increase in service and office-related jobs.

One more myth: as workers age, their productivity drops. No. Most academic studies show little to no relationship between age and job performance, says expert Harvey Sterns, director of the Institute for Life-Span Development and Gerontology at the University of Akron.

Some research shows that in jobs that require experience, older adults have a performance edge.

Finally, check out this intriguing study (2015) from the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy. They examined the number and severity of errors made by 3,800 workers on a Mercedes-Benz assembly line from 2003 to 2006. Over the four-year period, rates of errors by younger workers rose slightly while the rates for older workers declined. The frequency of severe errors decreased with age.

For more, see this interesting article in the Wall Street Journal. see this interesting article in the Wall Street Journal