Older and Out of Work

Cover

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Title Page, Copyright

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Contents

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Acknowledgments

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pp. ix-

The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) thanks the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research for publishing this collection of selected papers presented at its Eighteenth Annual Conference on January 19–20, 2006, in Washington, D.C. The conference was cochaired by Susan M. Daniels...

1. Introduction

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pp. 1-12

This volume of papers explores the labor market characteristics of older workers and critiques the effectiveness of workforce programs in addressing the needs of this growing segment of our population. The volume grew out of a conference sponsored by the National Academy...

2. The Consequences of Recent Job Growth on Older Low-Income Workers

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pp. 13-44

As of April 2008, the U.S. labor market was eight and a quarter years into the current business recovery cycle, yet only about 7 million jobs had been created, not even half the average growth that occurred during the four previous recoveries. Although modest job growth has...

3. Age Discrimination and Hiring

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pp. 45-58

In its current state, the Social Security trust fund will reach zero in 2041 (Diamond and Orszag 2002). Social Security’s future includes some combination of reduced benefits and increased taxes. One commonly suggested solution to the Social Security problem is to encourage...

4. Reemployment and Earnings Recovery among Older Unemployment Insurance Claimants

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pp. 59-84

In recent years, a growing proportion of older workers have suffered involuntary job loss. Previous research shows that older workers have more difficulty getting back to work than younger workers. They also suffer larger earnings loss once reemployed than younger workers...

5. The Fraction of Disability Caused at Work

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pp. 85-99

Studies of the economic and social consequences of disability among adults have documented the disadvantages that confront individuals with disabilities. Among these consequences are lower employment and earnings (Burkhauser, Daly, and Houtenville 2001) and higher...

6. Disability and Retirement among Aging Baby Boomers

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pp. 101-130

Members of the leading edge of the baby-boom generation—the large number of people born between 1946 and 1964—turn 60 this year. Most of them will become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits when they reach age 62. And at age 65, they will qualify for...

7. Health Coverage for Aging Baby Boomers

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pp. 131-171

Annual growth in U.S. health care costs is outstripping yearly increases in workers’ wages by a substantial margin. In 2007, employer health insurance premiums climbed by 6.1 percent, while average wages climbed by 3.7 percent (Claxton et al. 2007). Employers are responding...

8. Improving Health Coverage before Medicare

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pp. 173-181

Four million people ages 55 to 64—13 percent of this age group— do not have health insurance. As a result, they face increased risk of a decline in their overall health (Baker et al. 2001). This chapter explores what can and should be done to improve the health coverage of older...

9. Time to Retire the Normal Retirement Age?

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pp. 183-204

First is the common forecast that the proportion of Americans above retirement age will increase significantly, and so funding for retirement would require a much larger share of national income in the future. This raises questions about the adequacy or affordability of both public and...

10. Public and Private Strategies for Assisting Older Workers

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pp. 205-223

In 2006, the first wave of the baby boom generation turned 60. In 2011, the oldest baby boomers will turn 65, the traditional retirement age. Older workers are now one of the fastest-growing segments of the American workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the...

The Authors

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pp. 225-226

Index

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pp. 227-236

About the Institute

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pp. 237-