McNamara Tay K, Williamson John B
Boston College, Chesnut Hill, MA 02467-3807, USA.
Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2004;59(3):255-86. doi: 10.2190/GE24-03MX-U34P-AMNH.
Demographic projections have prompted concerns about the potential economic burden of an aging population. This article, drawing on the 1998 Health and Retirement Study, explores ways in which race, gender, and age moderate the effects of various factors on labor force participation among people ages 60 to 80. Key findings center on health, education, and non-wage income. First, the effect of low non-wage income is weaker at older ages due to higher levels of functional disability. Second, the effect of low education is stronger for women, who perceive their chances of finding employment as low. Third, the effect of health is weaker for blacks, as they are less likely to find steady employment regardless of health.
Employer flexibility in number of hours worked might make sense for workers close to retirement age, while job search and training programs might be preferable for workers past the typical retirement age.
人口预测引发了对老龄化人口潜在经济负担的担忧。本文利用1998年健康与退休研究，探讨种族、性别和年龄如何缓和各种因素对60至80岁人群劳动力参与率的影响。主要研究结果集中在健康、教育和非工资收入方面。首先，由于功能残疾水平较高，低非工资收入在老年时的影响较弱。其次，低教育程度对女性的影响更强，因为她们认为自己找到工作的机会较低。第三，健康对黑人的影响较弱，因为无论健康状况如何，他们找到稳定工作的可能性都较小。
对于接近退休年龄的工人，雇主在工作时长方面的灵活性可能是合理的，而对于超过典型退休年龄的工人，求职和培训项目可能更可取。
