This report examines how the two global mega-trends of population ageing and rising inequalities have been developing and interacting, both within and across generations. Taking a life-course perspective the report shows how inequalities in education, health, employment and earnings compound, resulting in large differences in lifetime earnings…

The number of lifelong learning institutes (LLIs) is growing across the United States and it is important for educational planners and administrators to know about current demographic and behavioral characteristics of program participants. A 14-question survey was administered via SurveyMonkey to members who use computers in eight Osher Lifelong…

Over the next decade, Baby Boomers will be reaching retirement age in large numbers and the U.S. will be undergoing one of the most significant demographic shifts in its history. This demographic shift has important implications for the role of higher education as a provider of lifelong learning and for the changing composition of postsecondary…

After a long decline, the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of older men in the United States leveled off in the 1980s, and began to increase in the late 1990s. We examine how changes in Social Security rules affected these trends. We attribute only a small portion of the decline from the 1960s-80s to the increasing generosity of Social…

This Technical Committee Report examines four tiers of retirement income: (1) social security; (2) private and public occupational pension programs; (3) income from assets and savings; and (4) needs-tested programs. A summary of principal findings and recommendations is followed by three sections discussing the statistical basis for this report.…

A study analyzed the changing nature of older persons in the labor force, factors that may affect their work decisions, and policy changes that could facilitate their continuation or reentry into the work force beyond the normal retirement age. Data examined during the survey indicate that while the number of people aged 65 and older is continuing…

Examines the risk of poverty among a sample of elderly couples and widows interviewed over a 10-year period. When individual movements into and out of poverty over time are identified, the risk of becoming poor is more than double the highest annual risk among couples, and is raised by almost 30 percent for widows. (Author/ABB)

Several national trends are converging to impact adult education today. First, the increasing presence of adults in higher education is accentuated by the expansive Baby Boom generation who are demanding greater access to the higher education system in the United States. Second, regarding workforce and economic development in the 21st century,…

A national personal interview survey, repeating some questions asked eight-10 years earlier on post-retirement experiences, finds current retirees somewhat less satisfied with life after retirement than ones interviewed in the 1960s. Dissatisfaction with retirement experience continues to be associated with health problems and to some extent low…

Analyzes the development of women's pensions compared to the progress of men's benefits from 1960 to 1980 in industrial countries. Comparisons are based on benefit amounts of average wage earners in manufacturing. Findings are that women's benefits did not keep pace with men's pensions in 5 of the nations studied. (Author/ABB)

This research brief examines changes in the age distribution of faculty in the University of Wisconsin (UW) system over time and trends in faculty retirement. Findings indicate that: (1) in 1997-98, 35 percent of faculty were age 55 and older, 51 percent were between 40 and 54, and fewer than 15 percent were under 40; (2) on average, faculty at…

The need for counseling has increased as senior citizens have reentered the work force because of inflation and fixed income. Employment trends are discussed. Counselors must learn to deal effectively with problems of the elderly in order to ease the road to retirement. (Author/BEF)

Analyzed statistics relevant to and about older Americans are contained in this document. Chapter topics (with some subtopics) include the following: (1) size and growth of the older population (age distribution, life expectancy); (2) geographic distribution and mobility (mobility, countermigration); (3) economic status (median cash income, sex,…

A survey by the Consortium on Financing Higher Education of retirement programs at 36 higher education institutions is described. It was discovered that most institutions have not done much systematic planning and did not know what retirement-related programs cost them. (MLW)