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Beyond the Byline: Keep singing Joey, keep singing

WILKES-BARRE &mdash; One of every five workers ages 55 and over in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties is concentrated in the health care and social assistance industry.
				That comes from a recent study done by The Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development at Wilkes University &mdash; &ldquo;Rethinking the Senior Worker.&rdquo;
				According to Teri Ooms, executive director at The Institute, &ldquo;The demographic landscape is shifting nationally and regionally as the older population grows. It is in turn shifting the workforce, as workers ages 55 and older account for an increasing proportion of the workforce. This change is more pronounced regionally, where one-quarter of the workforce in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties is age 55 and older, compared to the nationwide workforce proportion of 21.9 percent.&rdquo;
				Ooms said another 40 percent are employed in manufacturing, retail trade, educational services, and transportation and warehousing. She said just over half of workers in this age segment regionally are part of the following occupational groups: office and administrative support, transportation and material moving, sales and related occupations, production, and health care practitioners and technical occupations.
				National data also shows that workers in older age groups tend to seek more autonomy and flexibility through self-employment and part-time positions.
				&ldquo;To attract and retain older workers, employers must pursue innovative ways to encourage people to continue working beyond the traditional retirement age, and target this population in recruitment efforts,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;Employers should adopt strategies that engage older workers while offering them flexibility and easing their transition into retirement. This can also help employers by facilitating a transfer of skills and knowledge to reduce the gap left by retiring workers.&rdquo;
				Impact of COVID-19
				Andrew Chew, Senior Research & Policy Analyst at The Institute said, &ldquo;As this research brief was being developed, the coronavirus pandemic was quickly impacting the worldwide economy and job market. The White House announced a nationwide effort on March 16, 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19 through the implementation of social distancing at all levels of society, directing individuals to avoid discretionary travel and remain at home whenever possible. In Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations as of March 19, leading many businesses and schools to shutdown indefinitely.&ldquo;
				Chew said the pandemic and the resulting widespread business closures and restrictions on social interactions will have a long-lasting impact on the economy and job market, with some industries severely harmed and others benefiting due to the transition to a virtual service model. Several industries are already feeling the impact, including travel, leisure and hospitality, some sectors of manufacturing, educational services, real estate, and oil and gas. Small businesses that provide services from physical locations, including restaurants and specialty retailers, and their work forces will be especially hard hit.
				Other companies offering in-demand services during this time will benefit, including healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, technology companies that offer virtual communication capabilities, supermarket chains, and companies providing at-home delivery of goods and services. Some sectors of manufacturing may benefit if they are able to transition to producing needed products, such as supplies for the healthcare industry.
				&ldquo;Although the effect on the senior workforce in particular is yet unknown, some of the top industries in which senior workers in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties are currently employed will be negatively impacted &#8211; including manufacturing, retail trade, and educational services &#8211; while others will continue to be in demand, such as health care and transportation and warehousing,&rdquo; Chew said. &ldquo;The Institute will continue to monitor the impact on the regional economy and workforce, and provide updated analyses and reports as more information becomes available.&rdquo;
				The Data
				The demographic landscape of the United States is shifting as the older population grows, driven by the aging baby boomer generation. The generation of baby boomers began turning 65 years old in 2011.
				According to the U.S. Census Bureau, all baby boomers will be older than age 65 by 2030, and one in five U. S. residents will be retirement age.
				In Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, seniors and those approaching retirement age will represent an even larger share of the population. By 2030, it is estimated that 38 percent of the population will be age 55 or over in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties &#8211; up from 31 percent in 2010. Over one in four residents in these areas will be age 65 or older.
				Currently, one quarter of the workforce (25 percent) in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties is age 55 and older. This is similar to the Pennsylvania workforce overall, in which 24.6 percent of the workforce is age 55 and older. Both the regional and statewide workforce proportions for this age segment are significantly higher than that of the nation (21.9 percent). The Lackawanna and Luzerne County region has the highest proportion of people working past age 65 &#8211; 6.6 percent.
				Chew and Ooms said people are working past the traditional retirement age of 65 either out of choice or necessity. Some seniors choose to work past retirement age if they are healthy and able to do so.
				According to the World Health Organization, the &ldquo;healthy life expectancy&rdquo; in the U.S. is 68.5 years of a total average life expectancy of 78.5 years. The healthy life expectancy is the average number of years a person can expect to live in full health. Other seniors may need to work longer out of financial necessity.
				A secondary analysis of the Employee Benefit Research Institute&rsquo;s (EBRI) 2017 Retirement Confidence Survey by AARP Research found that more than a third (35 percent) of workers ages 50+ and 21 percent of retirees do not feel financially secure. Continuing to work past age 65 can help supplement Social Security benefits and retirement savings.
				Industries and occupations
				for the senior workforce
				The following analysis examines industries and occupational groups in which workers ages 55 and over are employed in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, the expected growth rate for select occupations nationwide that have higher concentrations of older workers, and the rates of part-time and self-employment for older workers. Identifying the industries, occupational groups, and types of positions that are currently popular with older workers can help direct resources and efforts for retaining and training the senior workforce.
				Although workers aged 55 and over are employed across a broad variety of industries in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, over one in five (21 percent) are concentrated in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry. The other top industries, accounting for a combined 41 percent of workers aged 55 and over, are Manufacturing (12 percent), Retail Trade (11 percent), Educational Services (nine percent) and Transportation and Warehousing (nine percent). table 5
				The largest occupational group in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties for workers 55 and over is Office and Administrative Support, which accounts for 17.4 percent of people in this age segment. The other top occupational groups are Transportation and Material Moving (10.2 percent), Sales and Related Occupations (9.4 percent), Production (7.4 percent), and Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (6.8 percent). Together, these occupational groups account for over 51 percent of the workforce aged 55 and over in the two counties. (table6
				Labor force considerations
				As employers face a decline in the proportion of available younger workers, recruiting and retaining older, experienced individuals will become more critical to the success of their businesses and organizations.
				There are benefits to employing older workers. They often have extensive life and workplace experience that bring value to workplaces. They can offer desirable traits including strong work ethic, maturity, and reliability &#8211; and can serve as mentors to younger employees.
				They also exhibit lower rates of turnover, and are likelier than their younger counterparts to feel satisfied at work. According to research from the Milken Institute&rsquo;s Center for the Future of Aging and the Stanford Center on Longevity, older employees took fewer sick days, showed stronger problem-solving skills, and were more likely to be highly satisfied at work than younger colleagues.
				Employers should reinforce efforts to reduce ageism and age-discrimination in order to develop environments where older workers are welcomed and appreciated. Offering workers of all ages productive, meaningful, and fulfilling employment opportunities is essential to keeping them engaged and motivated.
				According to AARP Research, age discrimination is perceived as the primary limitation to finding a new job, and also a reason older workers fear losing their existing jobs. Three-quarters of older workers (defined as workers age 45-plus in this study) cite age discrimination for their lack of confidence in finding a new job, and one-third of workers who believe they could lose their existing jobs cite age discrimination as a reason.
				According to The Institute, there are several strategies employers can leverage to help attract and retain older workers:
				Establish a culture of lifelong learning and training
				Offer job training and placement programs that are inclusive of job seekers of all ages. In addition to in-house training, explore external opportunities aimed at older workers. Continuing education classes and adult learner programs offered at local colleges and universities can provide lifelong learning opportunities for people seeking professional development or personal enrichment. Investing in employee training and development can help keep workers engaged and productive.
				Cultivate inter-generational connections
				Develop strategies for fostering ties between multi-generational workers. Encouraging connections between workers from different generations can help with knowledge transfer and perspective sharing. Design activities and team structures to include workers of all ages. Establish mentoring programs to connect older and younger workers. Offer technology training opportunities to help acclimate people to technological changes. Pair younger employees or community members who may have developed stronger technology skills through more recent education with older workers who have less technology experience.
				Offer a variety of benefit options
				Older and younger workers often have different priorities when it comes to benefits and compensation. Older employees looking toward retirement may be more interested in 401(k) contributions. Another attractive option might be wellness programs that help identify and manage chronic health conditions, and may lessen health care expenses that tend to increase with age.
				Offer flexible schedules
				While older workers are still motivated by their financial needs, they also value non-financial benefits that provide flexibility to their work schedules, including flex hours and telecommuting options. Older individuals may need time off to address health issues or care for aging parents, for instance. Seasonal businesses or those with peak periods of activity can offer part-time employment opportunities, which are popular with older workers.
				Offer a phased retirement program
				Older workers may want to ease into retirement gradually. According to the Society of Human Resource Management, only 19 percent of U.S. companies offered some form of phased retirement to workers in 2017, and less than a third of those companies offered the option through formal programs. A phased retirement program that allows employees to gradually reduce their hours and transition their responsibilities can help them stay in the workforce longer. It also can benefit employers by gradually shifting workloads to other staff, and facilitate transfer of skills and knowledge to reduce gaps left by retirees.
				Offer workplace accommodations
				Consider making workplace accommodations to address any safety concerns or physical barriers that may impact an older workforce. Explore ways to modify the working environment to heighten productivity while protecting health and safety.

Study: Demographic landscape shifting as the older population grows