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U.S. Labor Force 75 and Older Expected to Grow 96.5 Percent by 2030 (bls.gov)
29 points by infodocket on Nov 5, 2021 | hide | past | favorite | 28 comments


They are listing projections which aren't worth the paper they are written on. Predictions made in 2019 before the pandemic. Guess what dropped sharply during the pandemic? Elderly workforce partcipation rates when the risk of occupational infections became obvious. The unanticipated events pretty much make it worthless even before. Given current trends if it winds up true it will likely be due to different reasons such as paying enough that seniors start to consider it worth their time.

Also shame on the classic sensationalist "uncontextualized percentage increase" sleaze emphasis on changes to comparatively very small numbers.


At that age your body will decide if can keep on going. It's not really a personal decision.

Having said that, I think we could structure work so that older people could work fewer hours, if they want to.


We should structure work so that everyone can work as much or as little as they want to.


They might as well say "expected to double in size". I don't believe there's any significance to that 0.5% on top of a 96% that must already be pretty imprecise.


I can tell you for sure I would not being happy if I had no choice to be working at 70, 75 or even 66.


Eh, how about also not having a choice to work at any age before that?

Why is giving 5 out of 7 days to work pretty much every week the norm? There are so many worthwhile pursuits other than being a business owner or an employee.

However, even people who save up enough to take a break will face many obstacles - like having to explain "experience gap", as if being able to do what you want requires justification.


Its because of all the goofballs who 'manage property' for a living, and let their surfs produce all of the luxury goods they wish to consume all day for the rest of their lives.

Vegetables, clothing, and water and power are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP to DIY. Housing is also pretty simple, although it may take a while to make it nice. Good places to live are available, but you need enough educatedpeople to want to take the risk outside of society with you. The biggest obstacle to attaining a better life for most people is breaking the construct of 'I'm going to be THE ONE' hyperstition that Capitalism engenders.


>>>Vegetables, clothing, and water and power are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP to DIY.

DIY gardens/potable water/solar can easily create high-quality outputs, equivalent to the best available anywhere else. DIY clothing? Yeah, I don't think most DIYers can produce anti-microbial, moisture-wicking, flame-resistant, form-fitting-yet-maneuverable tactical shirts.

https://www.first-spear.com/the-asset-technical-field-shirt?...

>>>The biggest obstacle to attaining a better life for most people is breaking the construct of 'I'm going to be THE ONE' hyperstition that Capitalism engenders.

Is that capitalism, or just human nature? Every warlord/general EVER who overthrew a head of state in the past 4,000 years of recorded history just KNEW he deserved to be "The One". Unlike the commoners of the time, only a handful of people had the military power necessary to "make it big". Now, almost anyone can accumulate economic power to live like a king.


I wouldn't wear that shirt if you paid me. I bet half of it is plastic ("polyester") unhealthy and damaging to the environment in 100 different ways.

I'll stick with plain old cotton, you can keep the "anti-microbial, moisture-wicking, flame-resistant, form-fitting-yet-maneuverable tactical shirt" and -hopefully- avoid the associated cancer(s) .


>>>I bet half of it is plastic ("polyester") unhealthy and damaging to the environment in 100 different ways.

You don't have to guess at its contents, you could just....read the linked product description. It's mostly Merino wool, which is a natural fiber. Para-Aramid is synthetic but isn't a proven carcinogen.

We stopped using polyester moisture-wicking shirts when we learned that the fabric melts into your flesh during IED attacks. Cotton has its uses, but it is not as durable nor as performant without at least a blended fabric or other production compromises (such as overall additional weight).

None of which changes my original point: you can't just buy a sewing machine, get a bolt of cloth, and fabricate a shirt of equivalent performance in your own home.


I like the energy of wanting a distributed Maslow's hierarchy of needs tier 1 and 2 to have superior products to the centralized conception, but I think most people just need comfortable clothing to live in, and rugged clothing to work in.

The hope is critically important for the mental manifestation of any thought form. I think we could have a better method than Capitalism if we knew we could and put some effort into it. Religions are supposed to fill this role. Besides Capitalism, which is kinda a religion, but actually exists as a meta-layer on top of other, outdated religions, the last great religion was formed 1000+ years ago.


I was going to say, raw statistics like this are hiding a lot. There is a big difference between working because you love it, because you don’t know what else to do, or because you must do it or face starvation. Why is very important here.


What % of your pay are you saving and what age are you? Almost no one saves enough.


Is this voluntary or based on necessity?


To be honest I don't want to stop working.

I think once you stop working you start dying. I wouldn't like a survival job at that age, that'd be hell, but working for myself even if it's taking care of a small farm or anything that keeps you busy and gives you the chance to solve daily problems.

Sitting on a bench after retiring until I die is not an option.


You start dying the moment you are born.


I think it's a mixed bag. My parents are divorced, but are on the opposite ends of the spectrum here. My mother is extremely ambitious in her career, and maximizes out her retirement contributions every year. My father is quite the opposite, and I don't think he's made any plans when it comes to handling retirement.


I work with a 75 year olds who is on the road 100+ days each year. He's happy, company is happy, and the job isn't very physically demanding. This will become more common


On the road 100+ days a year isn’t physically demanding for someone over 75?


I asked this question in what I assumed would be transparent sarcasm.

It’s apparent that I need to point out that this is a sub aimed towards ambitious people chasing their dream business/job/hobby/dream/interest/etc.

There might be a bias here towards thinking a strenuous job is normal, just because we might take in that level of stress voluntarily


A lot of 75 year olds play golf, and walk the course, 160+ days each year.


and dangerous for us?


“On the road” could easily mean (and IMO most commonly means) flying from their home city to a client site or sites.

Even if driving, most 75 year olds are competent to drive and especially those still capable to work a travel job.


Flying 100+ days a year isn’t physically demanding for someone over 75?


These are airliners not tactical jets. An airport isn’t dramatically different from an office building in terms of physical demand. Being at a client site 100 days could be 50 flights if you’re on a typical Mon-Thurs consulting schedule and home every weekend.

Flying that often, you learn how to make it easier. For out Sunday back Thursday night trips, I can travel in a backpack if I have to but usually used a 15-pound roller bag. Hardly the stuff of special forces and less strenuous than a round of golf, which plenty of 75 year olds do.

My in-laws are ~75. If you looked at them or watched them play one of their 100+ rounds of golf (walking) a year, you’d probably guess they were early 60s.


“Has the appearance of being happy.”


A lot of people get to retirement and simply don't know what to do with all the free time. Work the same job for 40 years, and a lot of people will start to enjoy it (or did the whole time) and will retire only when forced to.


I wonder if this is more common in the US where the separation between work and free time is quite blurred. It's seems like you are always working and expect to be always available. Vacations are also minimal.




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