Study finds more older Americans working

Study finds more older Americans working
[20 September 2006 - Reuters] The number of older Americans in the work force hit a record high last month, and employment in that age group has grown faster than any other, according to research released on Wednesday. Working Americans age 55 or older numbered 24.6 million in August, the highest number ever recorded, according to analysis of federal employment data by workplace consultants Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. That marked a jump of more than 1 million full- or part-time older workers from a year earlier, the study showed. "I think it's a surprise to most people just how large the work force of those over 55 has grown," said John Challenger, chief executive officer of the Chicago-based company, a leading expert in business and employment trends. "There's a change going on, and the numbers bear it out." ... "Rather than a falling-off-the-cliff kind of retirement, we now have many more ways for people to stay in the work force and a different kind of balance between work and home," he said. "The system has changed to create much more openness to older workers." More