Employer Concerns and Responses to an Aging Workforce

Robert L. Clark, Steven Nyce, Beth Ritter and John B. Shoven

No 25572, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Economist and public policy analysts have devoted considerable research to examining the work and retirement decisions of employees. Much less effort has been spent on understanding the concerns and challenges of employers if their workers delay retirement and remain on the job until older ages. In this study, we report findings from three employer surveys with the objective of learning how organizations are responding to the aging of their workforces. The surveys provide several important observations. First, employer concerns about workforce aging vary considerably across the economy. To some firms, these demographic changes are of immediate concern and are viewed as a significant risk to the organization while other firms remain more concerned about potential productivity and cost effect of an older labor force. Second, most employers expect the importance of workforce aging to increase in the next five years. In response, a significant proportion of organizations are making changes to working conditions and compensation policies. Third, firms remain reluctant to adopt formal phased retirement policies but are more willing to offer part-time employment, return to work, and other policies on a case by case basis.

JEL-codes: J1 J2 J23 J26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-dem and nep-lma
Note: AG
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published as Robert L. Clark & Steven Nyce & Beth Ritter & John Shoven, 2019. "Employer Concerns and Responses to an Aging Workforce," The Journal of Retirement, vol 6(4), pages 82-99.

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