The recent decline in the labor force participation rates of older Americans is well known and well documented. Dramatic changes in male participation rates occurred between 1968 and 1986. Declines were substantial as early as age 55 and as late as age 70. The trends for older women were much less dramatic. In 1988, nearly half of employed men and…

Montana is experiencing three types of teacher shortages, each requiring different intervention strategies. These situations include shortages in specific subject areas, most notably in music, special education, and foreign languages, followed closely by guidance and library; many job openings, caused by rapid enrollment growth, a large number of…

An analysis of the response of British health, social care, and housing agencies to the needs of the elderly was conducted. The purpose of the study was to determine how the British are improving their services to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing population of the elderly in an era of slow growth of public spending. The analysis showed the…

Discusses the important age discrimination issues decided by the Supreme Court in "Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio v. Betts." Frames some of the issues expected to be hard fought in post-Betts litigation. Summarizes how pending legislative initiatives would deal with the question of benefits discrimination against older…

This report summarizes rights and privileges provided to faculty retirees and emeriti of research universities, and presents results from a questionnaire sent to American Association of Universities (AAU) institutions (46 of the 60 members responded) concerning their ranking in desirability of 48 privileges, services, opportunities, rights, and…

Statistics reveal that 61% of older Canadian women who are unattached to a male partner live in poverty. Two primary factors why women are especially vulnerable to poverty are their financially dependent status and their inequality in the work force. Even women who have worked outside the home are more vulnerable to poverty in old age than their…

This collection consists of papers presented at a 1982 conference on policy issues in work and retirement. Presented first is an introductory overview of the problems of retirement and aging by Herbert S. Parnes. The following conference reports are included in the volume: "Life without Work: Does It Make Sense?" by Eli Ginzberg;…

About 28 percent of the population of Sweden is aged 55 or over. This figure will grow to about 37 percent in the year 2025. Sweden leads the industrialized countries in terms of employment of older workers, with about 65 percent of persons aged 55-64 employed. This is a result of the current general high employment rate in Sweden; however, older…

The testimony provided in these hearings addresses the most fundamental problem facing older Americans today, i.e., economic security. The report discusses the results of expanding social services and income transfer programs to reduce poverty, and examines ways to increase older adults' economic self-sufficiency through expanded employment…

Presents four papers discussing issues in the regulation of employer pensions, trends in pension coverage and benefit receipt, restrictive pension provisions and older workers, and indexing retirement benefits. (JAC)

Following tremendous growth in the population of West Germany until the early 1970s, the population stabilized with a slower birth rate but higher foreign immigration. The population is becoming increasingly older. About 28 percent of the German population is aged 55 or older; by the year 2030, this figure will be about 44 percent. In 1985, the…

By the year 2025, 38 percent of the population of the Netherlands is projected to be aged 55 and over. Only 40 percent of the group aged 55-64 was working in 1985, and only 2.3 percent of the people aged 65 and over was working--the smallest number among industrialized countries. This development was mainly due to early retirement schemes and…

Despite many employers' opinions that incentive programs for early retirement are humane and desirable, such programs have several undesirable aspects for the retirees and the U.S. economy. The programs are actually termination programs because they function as a way employers can reduce their work force. (In fact, it was the 1973-75 and 1981-82…

Although the older person's economic stiuation has improved, older women, minorities, and rural residents have incomes significantly lower than those for the older population in general. Older married women may appear to be financially secure, but many of their resources often disappear when their husbands die. Widowhood or divorce endangers the…

This speech focuses on women and private pension plans, such as private pension coverage and smaller benefit amounts. Pension issues affecting women as employees include participation in plans, vesting, break-in service, benefit accruals, integration with Social Security, sex-based actuarial tables, portability, inflation, and individual…