Description
Book SynopsisAmerica is at a crossroads in its approach to work and retirement.Many policymakers think it''s logical--almost inevitable--that Americans will delay retirement and spend more years in the paid labor force. But it''s an assumption that doesn''t match the reality faced by a large and growing proportion of Americans. Though in many ways today''s middle-aged adults are less financially prepared for retirement than today''s retirees, precarious working conditions, family caregiving responsibilities, poor health, and age discrimination will make it difficult or impossible for many to work longer.Overtime offers a current, revelatory corrective to our understanding of the future of the American workforce and aging. Experts across economics, sociology, psychology, political science, and epidemiology examine how increasing economic and social inequalities, coupled with changes across generations or birth cohorts, call for a rethinking of the working-longer policy framework. The contributors ex
Trade ReviewThe book is organized into four parts: an evaluation of who works, an assessment of employee-employer fit, an examination of employment in the context of family and workplace, and a contemplation of politics and future policy. The book's scope is broad, covering retirement, retirement policy, health policy, and a good bit of labor economics. The data and statistics presented are up-to-date, and the essayists make useful international comparisons. The chapters in the book are well-written and scholarly in nature and will make valuable references for scholars and policy makers, but they are not too technical for undergraduate students. * Choice *
Overtime is a daunting picture of the current strongly negative relationship between work and age. The book concludes with policy recommendations both for companies and countries working to adapt to ageing societies. * Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes Contributor, Forbes *
Americans work longer and have the shortest retirements among rich nations. How long can we postpone raising pensions by falsely hoping Americans can work even longer? Drs. Truesdale and Berkman bring together experts with an answer in this well-researched book. * Teresa Ghilarducci, PhD, Director, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis *
Berkman and Truesdale brilliantly reframe an essential policy question: Should we promote working longer? Convening experts across the social sciences, this volume illuminates growing inequalities and pushes us to consider the current realities for younger workers in assessing this question. Overtime provides an innovative, compelling, and critical perspective on modern work. * Erin Kelly, PhD, Professor, MIT Sloan, and Co-Director, MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research *
As global aging advances, efforts by countries to preserve social insurance funds by delaying retirement age are challenged by increasing disability in less privileged workers. This authoritative and timely volume de-mythologizes work and retirement for older persons and provides evidence-based strategies for better jobs and financial security later in life. A must read for policy makers and employers. * John W. Rowe, MD, Julius Richmond Professor of Health Policy and Aging, Columbia University *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Contributors Introduction: Is Working Longer in Jeopardy? Lisa Berkman and Beth C. Truesdale Part I. Who Has a Job? Labor Trends from Commuting Zones to Countries Chapter 1: When I'm 54: Working Longer Starts Younger than We Think Beth C. Truesdale, Lisa Berkman, and Alexandra Mitukiewicz Chapter 2: The Geography of Retirement Courtney C. Coile Chapter 3: The European Context: Declining Health but Rising Labor Force Participation among the Middle-Aged Axel Börsch-Supan, Irene Ferrari, Giacomo Pasini and Luca Salerno Chapter 4: Work and Retirement in the U.S. after the COVID-19 Pandemic Shock Richard B. Freeman Part II. What's the Fit? Workers and Their Abilities, Motivations, and Expectations Chapter 5: The Link between Health and Working Longer: Disparities in Work Capacity Ben Berger, Italo Lopez-Garcia, Nicole Maestas, and Kathleen Mullen Chapter 6: The Psychology of Working Longer Margaret E. Beier and Meghan K. Davenport Chapter 7: Forecasting Employment of the Older Population Michael D. Hurd and Susann Rohwedder Part III. Lived Experience: The Role of Occupations, Employers, and Families Chapter 8: Dying with Your Boots On: The Realities of Working Longer in Low-Wage Work Mary Gatta and Jessica Horning Chapter 9: Ad Hoc, Limited, and Reactive: How Firms Respond to an Aging Workforce Peter Berg and Matthew Piszczek Chapter 10: How Caregiving for Parents Reduces Women's Employment: Patterns Across Sociodemographic Groups Sean Fahle and Kathleen McGarry Part IV. Politics and Policy: Where Population Aging Meets Rising Inequality Chapter 11: Working Longer in an Age of Rising Economic Inequality Gary Burtless Chapter 12: How Does Social Security Reform Indecision Affect Younger Cohorts? John B. Shoven, Sita Nataraj Slavov, and John G. Watson Chapter 13: The Biased Politics of "Working Longer" Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson Conclusion: What Is the Way Forward? Lisa Berkman, Beth C. Truesdale, and Alexandra Mitukiewicz
