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Work
Turns Old into Gold
By Sagittarius
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Just
how old is old? Older than 30? Older than 40? Older
than 50 or more? Usually, you are too old whenever
you think you are. It is really in the eye of the beholder.
Think a minute: How old would you be if you didn't
know your age?
Recent
studies show that when a person has an active and inquiring
mind, he or she gets smarter as the years go by. Another
recent report reveals that an active and inquiring mind
is a tremendous deterrent to Alzheimer's disease, while
it helps a person live a longer life. So, do you consider
yourself old? How many of you consider yourself spending
too much time in the office or at work? What would you
think if I told you that if you are older than 40, the
majority of people in the business world consider you
old? Age discrimination is alive and well for those
in their 40s. The first
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thing that most business people today think of
when they hear of hiring an older person is: I can hire them
for nothing -- since they are probably on retirement and/or
dependants.
I recently received a letter from a man who was told by his
company that his salary would be cut in half because he would
soon be 62. That is like a forced retirement, and retirement
should be viewed not as a time of rocking chairs but of trampolines.
No one should be forced into a retirement unless he or she is
ready. |
Let's
go back to the questions. What do you consider old? That
probably depends on how old you are. Well, let me tell
you -- that has changed dramatically due to baby boomers
coming into the "old" category. After 2010,
in the west, the first of the baby boomers will reach
what is today considered a normal retirement age of 65.
Their large numbers will combine with relative declines
in the size of the traditional working-age population,
or those ages 18-64, and lengthening life expectancies
at age 66, to bring about major changes in the nation's
age structure. Will income from earnings continue to be
an important source of economic security for baby boomers
during their retirement years? The short answer is yes,
for some elderly households.
In fact, the presence of earned income is likely to be
a distinguishing characteristic with respect to the income
level of the elderly. The longer answer
requires a brief overview of retirement trends and of
the importance of earned income to today's elderly households.
It also calls for a discussion of whether older workers
of the future are likely to be willing
and able to work at older ages, and which workers are
most likely to be in a position to work. |
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To many "older" citizens, the question of working
is not a choice -- it is a necessity.
A survey says that nearly all people 65 and older say
they have to work to increase their buying power. Three-fourths
of the remaining says they have to work to survive. Many
simply say they would rather die working then rocking
in a chair. That old saying "work never killed anyone"
has been proved true. Statistics show people who do work
live longer than sedentary couch potatoes. Therefore,
if you want to live a long life and are older than 55,
don’t give up. |
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