School of Nursing and Health Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 2005, USA.
CPWR-Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Oct 30;16(21):4202. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16214202.
The average U.S. construction worker is aged 42.6 years, and will not be eligible for full Social Security retirement benefits until age 67. Delayed retirement is largely driven by economic need, but construction workers face considerable challenges in remaining on the job. This study explores trade-specific age trends within the construction industry, and the experiences of building trade unions with aging membership. A mixed-methods approach used trade-specific age statistics from the Current Population Survey and key informant interviews with labor leaders, in order to identify union experiences and interventions. Mean and median ages for all subgroups in construction increased from 2003 to 2017. Immigrant construction workers were significantly younger than workers who were born in the U.S. (41 vs. 43, < 0.001). Union workers were older than non-union workers (42 vs. 39 in 2017, < 0.001); the age differential between self-employed and wage-and-salary workers was wide (49 vs. 40, < 0.001). Union leaders described barriers, such as age discrimination and the loss of previously available light tasks, as well as current and potential solutions through union contract language requiring the inclusion of older workers, or establishing limits for lifting. Other solutions included career pathways for training and safety, with their attendant limitations; mentoring/pairing opportunities with apprentices; and the potential opportunities and training needs for site management positions.
美国建筑工人的平均年龄为 42.6 岁,要到 67 岁才能领取全额社会保障退休福利。延迟退休在很大程度上是出于经济需要,但建筑工人在继续工作方面面临着相当大的挑战。本研究探讨了建筑行业中特定行业的年龄趋势,以及建筑行业工会老龄化成员的经验。本研究采用了特定行业的年龄统计数据,来自于当前人口调查和与劳工领袖的关键知情人访谈,以确定工会的经验和干预措施。2003 年至 2017 年,建筑行业所有细分行业的平均年龄和中位数都有所增加。建筑行业的移民工人比在美国出生的工人明显年轻(41 岁对 43 岁,<0.001)。工会工人比非工会工人年龄大(2017 年 42 岁对 39 岁,<0.001);自营职业者和工薪阶层之间的年龄差异很大(49 岁对 40 岁,<0.001)。工会领袖描述了一些障碍,如年龄歧视和失去以前可用的轻任务,以及当前和潜在的解决方案,包括通过工会合同语言要求包括老年工人,或为举重设定限制。其他解决方案包括培训和安全的职业途径,以及随之而来的限制;与学徒的指导/配对机会;以及现场管理职位的潜在机会和培训需求。