Are You an Older Worker? Know Older Workers? Let Us Know | The Business Desk with Paul Solman | PBS NewsHour

ABOUT US \| LOCAL TV LISTINGS EMAIL PRINT

REGION: North America

TOPIC: Business & Economy

PBS NewsHour

In the fall of 2007, when the U.S. economy first seemed in peril, I began answering reader queries here on the Business Desk. I still do so, but this page has expanded to include posts from eminent economists, "far-flung correspondents," and a variety of voices that have intriguing and/or useful things to say about economics, broadly defined. Please feel encouraged to respond to any and all of them.

« Previous Entry | Main | Next Entry »

Are You an Older Worker? Know Older Workers? Let Us Know

Elderly Workers Mary Brassard, 86, Dorrace Delaney, 74, and Roger Huff, 68, work at Vita Needle in Needham, a manufacturing company whose average age of worker is 74. Photo by Joanne Rathe/The Boston Globe via Getty Images.

By Elizabeth Shell

The American workforce is getting older. The government estimates that by the end of the decade, a quarter of the labor force will be 55 years old or older. In 1990, that figure was 12 percent. And a mere 18 percent of us expect to stop working once we've hit retirement age, according to a recent study by the Aegon Group.

Here at Making Sen$e, we're working on a series about the older workforce, investigating the need of so many Americans to continue working despite passing retirement age and the effect that has on the economy. Some are working longer because they have to; some because they want to. Are you one of these folks? Know someone who is? We want to hear from you.

Fill out our Public Insight Network form and tell us about yourself. We want to know about your experience, whether you are a 55-plus worker, the employer that hires them, or the colleague working alongside them. We want to know it all: the good, the bad and the gray.

(And don't worry, everything you write is completely confidential. We won't quote you without your permission.)

Click here if you know someone 55+ who still works.

Or here if you are 55+ and still working.

Thank you. We look forward to reading your stories.

Public Insight Network is a platform from American Public Media to help journalists find and learn from thousands of people who have experience or knowledge on a story we are covering, to add context, depth, humanity and relevance to news stories at trusted newsrooms around the country. Join the Public Insight Network.

-- Posted November 1, 2012 | Comments ( ) | Permalink

TrackBacks

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Are You an Older Worker? Know Older Workers? Let Us Know.

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/mt4/mt-tb.cgi/15416

Comments

*Mary Brassard, 86, Dorrace Delaney, 74, and Roger Huff, 68, work at Vita Needle in Needham, a manufacturing company whose average age of worker is 74. Photo by Joanne Rathe/The Boston Globe via Getty Images.* *By Elizabeth Shell* The American workforce is getting older. The [**government estimates**](http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2012/01/art3full.pdf) that by the end of the decade, a quarter of the labor force will be 55 years old or older. In 1990, that figure was 12 percent. And a mere 18 percent of us expect to stop working once we've hit retirement age, according to a recent study by the [**Aegon Group**]( http://www.aegon.com/Documents/aegon-com/Sitewide/Reports-and-Publications/Research/AEGON-Retirement-Readiness-Survey-2012.pdf?epslanguage=en). Here at Making Sen$e, we're working on a series about the older workforce, investigating the need of so many Americans to continue working despite passing retirement age and the effect that has on the economy. Some are working longer because they have to; some because they *want* to. Are you one of these folks? Know someone who is? We want to hear from you. Fill out our Public Insight Network form and tell us about yourself. We want to know about your experience, whether you are a 55-plus worker, the employer that hires them, or the colleague working alongside them. We want to know it all: the good, the bad and the gray. (And don't worry, everything you write is completely confidential. We won't quote you without your permission.) [**Click here**](http://www.publicinsightnetwork.org/form/pbs-newshour/ea6021912625/do-you-know-someone-55-who-still-works) if you know someone 55+ who still works. [**Or here**](http://www.publicinsightnetwork.org/form/pbs-newshour/c522724b18ab/are-you-55-and-still-working) if *you* are 55+ and still working. Thank you. We look forward to reading your stories. *[**Public Insight Network**](http://www.publicinsightnetwork.org/) is a platform from American Public Media to help journalists find and learn from thousands of people who have experience or knowledge on a story we are covering, to add context, depth, humanity and relevance to news stories at trusted newsrooms around the country. [**Join**](https://www.publicinsightnetwork.org/source/en/apm/) the Public Insight Network.*