Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: What effect do increases in the share of the population age 65 and older have on the rate at which older persons participate in the labor force? This question is examined using state-level data for the year 2004. Controls are introduced to take into account the overall condition of a state’s economy, the educational level of a state’s older population, and the migration of older persons into and out of the state. It is found that states with larger shares of their population that are old tend to have lower labor force participation by those older persons. This inverse relationship between share and labor force participation is consistent with the claim against employers of age discrimination.