The Aging Workforce : Realities, Myths, and Implications for Organizations

The Aging Workforce examines the changing demographics of the workforce, and their impact on the world of work. The numbers and proportions of older individuals in the U.S. population are increasing. Most organizations are ill-prepared to meet the challenges associated with older workers, and little research has addressed the development and implementation of effective human resource management practices for an aging workforce. The graying of America requires that we give more attention to both the problems and potential of an older workforce. Consequently, the book focuses on issues related to work life and aging. Topics include: age stereotyping (and employment discrimination); the impact of aging on cognitive performance, job performance, job attitudes, and motivation; the evolving concept of retirement, and what these issues mean for organizational human resource management policies and procedures. Without being particularly academic, the book provides a state-of-the-science perspective on what we know about issues related to the older worker, thus providing a foundation for confronting the challenges facing the workforce of the future. The Aging Workforce pulls togethe