Articles and Reports of Interest to Employers

As the U.S. population ages and the number of people reaching traditional retirement ages increases, employers need to do more to attract and retain older workers, many of whom are highly experienced, knowledgeable, and skilled. Successful approaches include offering formal and informal phased retirement options and creating flexible work arrangements, such as part-time work, flexible schedules, job sharing, telework arrangements, and snowbird programs. Federal, state, and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations and post-secondary educational institutions, help older workers find employment and secure job training. They also educate employers about the value of older workers. Click here.

MassINC and the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University provide an in-depth view of the challenges facing Massachusetts in the midst of a shifting economic environment.  While the Massachusetts economy is the envy of many other states, we still face a number of challenges in terms of job losses, job creation and the exodus of residents leaving the state to secure better opportunities and livelihoods elswhere. Click here. Then on "Link To This Page Registration Free"

The IPMA-HR issued this series of information sheets pertaining to the aging of the U.S. workforce.  Slides provide informative and valuable statistics on the changing U.S. population,  its subsequent impact on the availability of skilled labor, and the role that mature workers are seen playing in the economic growth of the country. Click Here

This white paper from Manpower, Inc., explores the increasing reality of the global aging workforce, the resulting gaps in workforce supply, and the demand that this is creating. It proposes strategies that companies can adopt to circumvent these talent challenges; recommendations on how employers can help older employees extend their careers should they choose to do so; and suggestions for the role that governments can play to help solve the older worker conundrum.Click Here

The Center on Aging and Work at Boston College has released a report that assesses how businesses are preparing for the aging of the workforce and offers recommendations on how to better utilize older workers to meet important business goals. While it is predicted that the percentage of workers 55 and over will increase by over 80 percent in the next 5 years, only 12 percent of employers have studied the changing demographics of their workforce to a "great extent." A greater focus on age in areas of recruitment, employee retention, and career development is essential for businesses to meet the opportunities and challenges brought about by these changing workplace demographics. Click Here

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) reports that Employers looking to hire new workers between now and 2020 should look to the fastest-growing segment of the American labor market: the 50+ worker. Click Here.

Mr. Donohue says, in part: "To narrow the gap between the jobs we need to fill and the number of workers available to fill them, we must convince older workers  to remain in the workforce longer." Click Here.

The Boston College Center for Work & Family is committed to enhancing the quality of life of today's workforce by providing leadership for the integration of work and life, an essential for individual, organizational, and community success. Here is a direct link to the center's research reports and publications. Click Here.