Massachusetts: Policy Brief Calls on State Leaders To Capitalize on Coming Age Wave

The Boston College Center on Aging & Work and AARP have issued a policy brief calling on Massachusetts state leaders to include 50-plus workers in the mix as the state develops solutions to stimulate its sagging economy. The policy brief--21st Century Age Demographics: Opportunities for Visionary State Leadership--provides information to help state leaders nationwide examine the connection between aging and work, and how changes in the labor force participation of older adults will affect their states.

“State leaders must play an active role in developing policy and initiatives to capture the value of 50-plus workers,” says Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, co-director of the Center on Aging & Work at Boston College. “Most of the attention paid to the aging of the workforce has focused on national trends. However, the thought leadership for economic and workforce development occurs at the state level.”

Among other things, the policy brief suggests raising awareness, encouraging business leaders to respond, expanding resources, benchmarking progress, and positioning Massachusetts as a model employer as ways in which to to advance public sector innovation and increase employment options for 50-plus workers.

Source: Center on Aging & Work at Boston College Press Release (April 2, 2008); AARP Massachusetts News Release (April 2, 2008)