This volume is a collection of papers selected from the 2006 National Academy of Social Insurance Annual Conference dealing with older workers and their labor market experience. The book also critiques the effectiveness of workforce programs in addressing this growing population segment. Though the work was first presented in 2006, based on data from years earlier, the issues raised are even more relevant today. For instance, the population age 65+ accounts for 13 percent of the population in 2010, and by 2050, it will account for 20 percent. One might argue that issues related to older workers will be overshadowed by the challenge of paying for social programs for retirees such as Medicare and Social Security, but these topics will become even more salient because of increased life expectancy, the weak economy, and the volatile stock market. Most likely older Americans will have to delay retirement and work longer. This puts them in a difficult position of finding work at older ages if they are physically able to work, and creates challenges for employers to redefine jobs in such a way to accommodate an aging workforce.

The chapters in the book address a wide range of topics related to low-income workers, age discrimination, labor market experience post unemployment, disability, and health insurance coverage. The background chapters are informative and easy to comprehend, especially for those not well versed in the field, but the chapters on what to do about the aging population as it pertains to continuation of work get into the real issues. Nevertheless, because the book was based on a 2006 conference, some of the options offered are not relevant four years later. For instance, the chapter on options to expand health insurance coverage among older workers focuses only on options for older workers. By contrast, policymakers in 2009 spent months debating aspects of comprehensive national health reform – during which most agreed that insurance reforms would benefit older workers at the expense of younger workers. Incremental approaches that would benefit only older workers were absorbed into comprehensive approaches. Yet the chapter questioning retirement at the normal retirement age could have easily been written today, since the topic is as relevant today as in 2005. We know that there will be more individuals of retirement age and, at least on average, the health status of retirees will be better than of previous retiree cohorts. The key questions are: can they afford to retire; can Social Security avoid insolvency without a cut in beneficiary retirement income; will jobs be available for those able to work; and how can we provide financial security to those incapable of working in their later years?

The book raises an interesting question as to whether retirement should be based on years in the labor force, instead of age. Basing benefits on years of service is already common practice in the pension world, as well as the health benefit world; many employers use a combination of age and years of service in determining eligibility for health benefits in retirement. But the idea would not be as easy to implement in a social insurance program, where there would be issues to resolve such as penalizing those who take time off work to raise a family.

Ultimately, the public and private sectors must work together to address the aging workforce. Employers may be reluctant to hire older workers because of their expected healthcare costs, though older workers may be attractive due to projected labor shortages. Older workers may also seek non-traditional jobs permitting them to gradually withdraw from permanent full-time work. The last chapter of the book examines some areas for private and public sector collaboration in addressing the needs of society and an aging workforce. As our society is on the cusp of the Baby Boom generation turning 65, more research will be needed and more opportunities for experimentation will present themselves, to make the transition towards an older workforce as smooth as possible for workers, employers, public policy, and society.