Current CSBD Projects

Committee on Health and Safety Needs of Older Workers

Increasing life expectancy, combined with the "baby boom" generation reaching older ages, will result in a more pronounced aging of the population in the United States and around the world in the near future. The elderly population today on the average is also healthier, better educated, and wealthier than the elderly population of previous generations--although there remain subsets of the population for whom this is not true. This increase in the size and the proportion of older adults, and the concomitant aging of the nation's workforce, will have important impacts on the size and composition of the workforce during the coming decades

Concern among the public and policymakers about the aging of the population is reflected in heightened attention to Medicare and Social Security trust funds, retirement savings, and the need for long term care. Far less attention has been paid to the factors that influence work decisions at older ages, the interaction between work and the aging process, and the possible need to adapt the workplace to meet the needs of an aging workforce.

Also lacking is the elucidation of social and occupational policies and research that will support the safe and productive employment of an older workforce within the context of rapid demographic and socioeconomic change. The intersection of these areas has not been explored in a systematic manner. Older workers are different from younger ones, and popular misconceptions about competence, knowledge, and work capacity play a large role in determining whether older workers are likely to remain employed. There are many stereotypes that concern the capabilities of older workers but very few are based on documented study. These stereotypes can be summarized in five "myths" about older workers: (1) in general, older workers have poorer health than younger workers, have decreased physical and mental capacity and loss of stamina; (2) older workers have higher injury rates, lost time and higher insurance and medical costs; (3) older workers are less productive than younger workers; (4) older workers are relatively rigid and won't learn new skills; and, (5) older workers are poor investment for retraining.

The Committee on Health And Safety Needs Of Older Workers has been established to (1) define and understand the size, composition, and other dimensions of the older adult workforce over the next 20-30 years, including the changing nature of work and its implications for workers over the age of 50; (2) identify the range of policy and research issues that should be addressed over the coming decade regarding the health and safety of older workers, including the effects, if any, of inappropriate working conditions on working capacities and occupational injuries and the effects of longer working lifetimes on health; and (3) identify relationships between retirement patterns and these characteristics of the older adult workforce and of their jobs. The committee will prepare a consensus report of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations.