The Age and the Meaning of Work study reviews and summarizes existing literature on non-financial benefits that work offers older workers.

key research questions

• To what extent is paid employment important to workers aged 40 and older? Why?
• What experiences enhance the meaning of work?
• What experiences detract from the meaning of work?

selected findings

• In a sample of the HRS from 1994-2004 (n=26,882), most older workers report that they enjoy their work (89 percent). Hispanic respondents (especially women) are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to say they enjoy their work (93 percent vs. 88 percent). Of all occupation groups, the greatest percentage of health services workers (31 percent) say that they do not enjoy their work. In contrast, only 6 percent of members of the Armed Forces indicate that they do not enjoy their work.
• In a sample of 3,504 older workers (ages 50 and over) from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, 91 percent indicated that the work they do is meaningful to them. This perception did not vary by gender or by racial or ethnic background. It did vary somewhat by employment status: 97 percent of small business owners indicated that their work was meaningful to them, compared to 93 percent of self-employed and 90 percent of those employed by others.
• In June, 2006, RetirementJobs.com released an online survey of 400 workers ages 50 and over. They found several elements were important in assessing potential jobs: flexibility (69 percent rated this important); security and stability (67 percent); independence and autonomy (65 percent); service and dedication (58 percent); cash compensation (53 percent); benefits (48 percent); and pure challenge (46 percent).
• Two focus groups – one with low- and middle-income individuals 40 years and older and seeking retraining for work, and one with middle- and upper-income older workers who are members of a community group focused on career planning during the “third age”-- reiterated many of these themes. When asked what they were looking for in work, they focused on making a contribution, keeping social connections, and being able to use their skills and experience. Even in the low income group, income and health benefits were mentioned only sparingly in the conversation.

publications

Smyer, MA, Besen, E. & Pitt-Catsouphes, M. (2009). Boomers and the many meanings of work. In R. Hudson (ed.), Boomer Bust? The new political economy of aging (pgs 3-16). New York: Praeger.

contact

For questions and more information about the Age & the Meaning of Work Study, contact:

Chad Minnich, Assistant Director, Marketing/Communications
minnicch@bc.edu     |       +1 . 617 . 552 . 3122

age and the meaning of work team

To schedule a conversation with any of our staff, please contact Chad Minnich, Assistant Director, Marketing & Communications, at 617-552-3122, or minnicch@bc.edu.

Marcie Pitt-Catsoupes, PhD	Director Sloan Center on Aging & Work, Boston College Associate Professor Graduate School of Social Work & Caroll School of Management, Boston College Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes directs the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College. She is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Social Work, and has appointments at the Boston College Carroll School of Management and the Business School at Middlesex University in London. She was the Co-Principal Investigator for the 2006 National Study of Business Strategy and Workforce Development and the 2007-2008 Age & Generations Study. Her current work includes oversight of the 2009 Talent Management Study. She will be leading the 2010 Generations of Talent study with colleagues from around the world. She was invited to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging as an issue expert, and recently co-edited a special issue of Generations (2007) that focused on aging and work. Dr. Pitt-Catsouphes was a recipient of the 2007 Work-Life Legacy Award. She serves on several boards and advisory committees, including the National Advisory Committee for Workplace 2010 at Georgetown University, the Strategy Board for the Association of Work/Life Professionals at the World of Work, and the Purdue Center for Families. Dr. Pitt-Catsouphes’ articles have been published in a number of scholarly and practitioner journals. She was a founding co-editor for the international journal, Community, Work and Family. Her publications include The Work-Family Handbook: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives and Approaches to Research, published by Erlbaum Publishers (2006) which she edited with colleagues. She received her BA from Tufts University, MSP from Boston College, and PhD from Boston University.
Elyssa Besen	Research Assistant Sloan Center on Aging & Work, Boston College  Doctoral Student Lynch School of Education, Boston College Elyssa Besen is a research assistant at the Sloan Center on Aging & Work. Her primary work is on the Age & Generations Study. In addition to her work at the center, Elyssa is a doctoral student in the Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology program at Boston College. Her research interest is the role of work in adult development.
Michael Smyer, PhD	Provost Bucknell University Michael Smyer is the provost and a professor of psychology at Bucknell University. Prior to joining Bucknell, Smyer was a professor of psychology and co-director of the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College. At the Center, he focused on developing evidence-based practices to enhance the individual and organizational effectiveness of 21st-century workplaces. Smyer's research and teaching focus on adult development and aging, with special attention to the impact of the contexts of aging. In addition, he has written extensively on aging and mental health, particularly the policy aspects of this area.