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The Stanford Center for Longevity last week hosted the “Century Summit,” a two-day conference on the issues and opportunities facing an aging population.
The second day of the conference took a particular focus on the increasingly common reality of a “60 year career,” with a greater number of adults working not only past the age of 55 but into their 80s and 90s.
This conversation around lifelong employment, and the lifelong learning that accompanies it, spanned most of the morning panels, which considered questions around access to good careers, funding longer life, and how American companies handle older workforces as more adults find themselves with “60-year careers.”
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that these questions aren’t hypothetical — the number of adults age 55 and above that are part of the labor force has increased by over 2% between 2007 and 2017.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics data set doesn’t offer much detail about what portion of that growth is accounted for by the population traditionally considered “seniors” — those over the age of 65 — however, population projections published by the California Department of Finance Demographic Research Unit suggest that it will be substantial, based upon the projected growth of the 65+ population.
According to those projections, by 2052 the population age 65 and above will account for 26% of California’s total population, which translates to over 11.3 million seniors.
Not only do these statistics predict an inevitable increase of seniors in the workforce based purely on that growth, but many seniors and adults nearing the traditional retirement age feel that they can’t afford to stop working.
In an introduction to the “Century Summit” panel entitled “Can more people have access to good careers?” Ramsey Alwin, CEO of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), offered her experience working with seniors in this position.
“Mary, at 79, had worked hard, played by the rules, but found herself during the pandemic caught up in an online scam (that) drained all of her savings,” Alwin recounted. “So at 79 years old she came asking for help finding a job, a skill refresh, or resume refresh.”
Despite the less than ideal circumstances that led to Mary being in such a position, NCOA was able to help her.
“At 80 years old, she’s enjoying a great job and a great opportunity to pursue her purpose,” said Alwin.
For Mary, her continued participation in the labor force was due to financial necessity — with her savings drained, she had no choice but to reenter the workforce. For other seniors, they are incentivized to continue working for non-monetary reasons, including a desire for connection and community, as well as the feeling that they continue to have value to offer in the workplace.
However, with industries changing more rapidly than ever before — largely due to substantial shifts in the technology available and utilized within workplaces — even older workers who want to continue working can doubt their own abilities, even in environments that honor and value their experience.
Jamie Woolf, director of culture and learning at Pixar, reflected on the positives and negatives of the workplace culture for older Pixar employees during the “Panel on American companies and the 60-year Career.”
“We have people who have worked at Pixar for 20 years or more and are the pioneers of this industry,” Woolf reflected. “The young people who come to Pixar are clamoring to meet with these pioneers, it’s the reason they got into the field.”
“The bad news,” she said, “Is that if you talk to those people who are over 60, their experience is that there are so many young people in this field that they wonder if maybe it’s time for them to move aside and let the young people take their place.”
Even in a workplace where mentorship and respect between those that have been in the industry for over 20 years and those that are just beginning is built into the framework of the company, older workers may doubt their ability to keep up and provide value in a rapidly changing industry, especially one like animation which has had a dramatic shift in its technology.
“Because entertainment industry is so youth oriented, I think the ageism is just conditioned into the older workers, even though they’re respected,” said Woolf, “And then on the technology front, Pixar is really a mash-up of artists and technology — they are inextricable. I think it does infiltrate a person’s consciousness when there is a longer learning arc, because this person didn’t grow up with the technology.”
Despite these challenges, whether it’s due to financial necessity, personal desire, or something entirely different, the data shows that the workforce, as well as the population overall, is aging. With these shifts taking place already — and set to continue shifting at a rapid pace — experts like those featured in the “Century Summit” conference urge the public to prepare not only to accommodate older workers, but to recognize and celebrate that value they can bring to the workforce.
Unless you start working at the age of two, a “60-year career” is a little over the top. Who the heck works into their late eighties or early nineties? Working by necessity is understandable. You have to do what you have to do to make ends meet. By choice is mind boggling. Even if you really enjoy your career, what ever happened to enjoying life in your golden years? Traveling, hobbies, volunteering, etc. Call me old fashioned (and I am) but I’ll never understand. Are they men (or women) tied to their work and afraid of “failing” retirement? Chronic workaholics? It’s a free country and there is no way to live your life. Whatever is right for you. But there is a big difference between working p/t at a library and cognitive difficulties means you put the book in the wrong place. Versus politicians (or any big decision makers) who refuse to retire at a “normal” age where they’re making important decisions that affect all of us, and they should be retired. Food for thought.
Jane Fonda, at 85, has been working all her life. Now, in what she calls “Life’s Third Act”, she still works, but mostly in the realm of activisim. She doesn’t get paid for activism, but what she does has measurable results. Her understanding of longevity in the US proposes that people (especially women) are living 34 years longer than our great grandparents did. Many careers last for less time. Work isn’t always defined by wages. Some work is a calling that requires as much effort as a paid job, but is deeply rewarding. The work she’s doing on climate change is phenomenal, especially considering her age, her physical challenges (joint replacements), and medical conditions (she now has cancer, and has not stopped her pace of battling climate crisis). She has no cognitive challenges and is a well-read and thoughtful public speaker. I first heard her speak in 2003 at a holistic retreat. Almost 20 years ago, now. She is articulate, smart, funny, and extremely insightful and is unselfish in that she wants to partner with everybody across the globe to solve the climate crisis. Most of all, she is aware of her privilege and uses it to lift people up, instead of putting them down. To be dismissed in one’s 80’s, as Jennifer suggests, does a disservice to us all.
I encourage people to lead normal, healthy happy lives. Including retiring at a normal, healthy age. Normal, healthy happy people can relate to this. Others, not so much.
Hanoi Jane is a terrible example. She’s un-American, and a traitor to our country. Ask any Vietnam vet. Did she “lift up” the veterans? I would forgive her myself, but that’s easy for me to say. I’ve never been drafted to war and been “spit on” when returning to our country. Thank goodness I was a little girl in the 60s. The most innocent time of my life, but hardly “innocent” times.
Oh Jennifer. Jane Fonda has evolved. Apparently you haven’t. The Hanoi Jane issue was put to rest decades ago. I’m not a Vietnam vet, but I am a Vet, and have many comrades who were drafted and plenty who VOLUNTEERED to go to Nam. Not one of them joins you in your skewed little girl vision of something you saw on TV or a magazine 50 years ago. Maybe you’re watching too much Megyn Kelley. You can open your mind, and observe and study what Jane Fonda has done with Fire Drill Fridays and other regularly scheduled acts of civil disobedience to combat climate change. Or you can just keep sitting there in … wherever you are, you never do identify where you live. Could be some backwoods cabin in Alabama, or a nursing home in San Jose. Jane Fonda is doing something to benefit society. You can accept that and try to derive some inspiration from it, or ignore it. You don’t have to berate her for something that wasn’t even engineered by her.
I remember Ringo Starr being asked why he still works. His reply was “I’m a drummer. I drum. I get up every morning, and I go drum. That’s what I do. Without it, I wouldn’t know how to spend my time”.
I think this explains it in a nutshell.
Rock stars aside, there are certain professions that have mandatory retirement age, as young as 55. It’s set for a reason. The workforce isn’t the place for you to hang your hat because retiring at a healthy age is uncomfortable for you. Self- employment is an option for all. Encouraging people to work in their late 80s and early 90s is illogical, and a hinderance to many. Workforce stress isn’t healthy for very elderly people. Ask any medical professional.
There are many professions where layoffs start in the mid-40s. It’s no coincidence that workers older than 40 are forced to sign a release saying they weren’t fired due to age for them to get their final severance checks.
Common old “joke”:
Happy birthday. What did you get for your 50th birthday?
Answer: Laid off.
Jennifer, aside from the fact that I think you actually MAY be posting from a nursing home in San Jose, do you have any work experience? You act like we should all be put out to pasture at 55 because we present a danger to society. Being older isn’t a crime and it isn’t dangerous. My mother in law is 83 and works for wages AND volunteers. I always love to use her as an example because she is what everyone should be after 80. She’s probably more physically fit than Jane Fonda, and more cognitvely on the ball than you and me both. Her husband, 10 years older, was perfectly fine too until he literally got whacked on his head when someone who perceived his age as “enfeebled” and tried to “help him” get out of the back seat of a car. Just let the old people be as they are, and let them work as long as they want. As long as they are able to get themselves there, they have measurable assets to be appreciated by younger people. And I don’t mean an inheritance. It’s almost time for the lunch bell. Ding ding.
Layoffs do start in the 40s in certain professions, and it’s unfortunate. I’ve never been laid or fired, but it could happen to any of us, especially those of us employed at-will.
To be effective in the work force, you have to be very productive and work at a certain pace. You also have to keep up with the latest technology. This is common sense, and I’m saddened that some people are too naive to realize this.
And some companies just lay off / downsize / fire those with the highest salaries and whose health insurance costs more due to their age. Google’s HR notoriously — and idiotically — bragged about doing just that right before someone’s pre-IPO options vested.
The inevitability of getting fired or laid off doesn’t mean everyone has the juice to be self employed. I experienced a “downward trend” back in the 80’s when so many jobs were “outsourced” to somewhere “overseas”. That was code and I called it for what it was back then: Factories shutting down in the US because we no longer had natural or renewable resources with which to make things. So now, 30 years later, we’re still conning ourselves calling lack of employment “The Great Resignation” and “chip shortages” leading to “low supply”. It’s a fact that we don’t make anything here any more. Almost all employment is service — whether it’s medical services or coffee service. Everything they are serving us with is made in China. That wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t stealing intellectual property and trying to pawn off inferior goods that lack our US standards of workmanship and/or safety. I mean heck, we really DO need to have a global market to supply what we don’t have here any more: Oil, Coal, Lumber, Iron Ore, and SKILLED LABOR. But the products should be safe and they just aren’t. I buy disposable socks and underwear because they fall apart in the wash. Button down shirts infuriate me because the seams aren’t finished, the buttons aren’t sewn tight, and you dont get free buttons on them anymore to replace them when they fall off. But these are PP. Privilege Problems. In China they have dormitory factories. If you don’t think we’re emulating that, examine Musk’s “now you have to live in your cubicle 24/7” change of ownership at Twitter. The dot com game is over, and Musk wants to find someone new to head Twitter. I would like to nominate Tom, from MySpace, who has been looking for a job since Warren Buffet bought it. I guess I’m too old to be frightened of losing a job where a tyrant runs the show. My 60 year career has consisted of mainly bucking the system. They’re still winning.
Companies will get rid of anyone they don’t want around regardless of salary, benefits, profession, position, etc. etc. etc. Some people are absolutely clueless how to stay employed. They get fired on a regular basis and they blame their employer, other employees, etc. They’re dead weight.
And union employees get too much protection, and lousy employees stay employed while they hide behind powerful unions.
Employees need to take responsibility for themselves and quit playing the blame game.
LOL. Ignorance appears to be your forte. When an owner closes a business and fires all of the employees and states it’s because they can’t compete anymore against overseas products…. the employees are supposed to take personal responsibility for it?