Should Our Grandparents Work?

Should Our Grandparents Work?

Based on the facts that the U.S. is a wealthy nation and how technology has improved working productivity, it is expected that the retirement age should be really low. That is not the case. Many employees in the U.S. work past their retirement age, and in many cases past 70 years old. This employment status is damaging both to these elders and the nation as a whole. In one respect, it deprives these elders of the relaxation that they should have in the few last years of their lives. In another, it is unhealthy to the nation s economy. For these reasons, people at the age of 70 should be prevented from working.

One reason that working at an older age, especially 70 or older is unhealthy for the economy is that elder workers are less efficient than younger workers. One important aspect of aging is mental limitations, which include forgetfulness, inability to absorb new information quickly, and so on. My mom, for example, is 61 years old and she has to make a list every time she goes to the supermarket when she intends to buy more than five items. Since many careers nowadays require quickness, having to write everything down and look them up every time is ineffectual. Aging also brings physical limitations. People at older age usually have to wear glasses, wear hearing aid, and they are physically slower in general. In short, old age leads to many limitations that make elder workers less efficient. This inefficiency ultimately is unhealthy for the economy because it decreases productivity that can be dramatically increased with the replacement of younger, more efficient workers.

It is impossible not to acknowledge that older workers have tremendous experiences from their long years of work that will help them to be more productive. However, this is only true for a few traditional jobs that are not influenced by the quickly evolving world. Most jobs nowadays are directly influenced by the information age so learning new knowledge and adapting to new ideas are inevitable. My brother, for example, has just graduated with a computer engineering degree and is working in a small software development company. Every night after work, he spends at least two hours reading new information just to be able to keep up with the world of computer and ultimately, his job position. Computer-related fields are not the only ones that require constant learning; this also holds true for other fields such as medicine, accounting, and even teaching. My family doctor says that he has to keep up with all the newly made drugs as well as the changes in health care policies and so on. Ricky, my hall-mate tells me that his grandmother was asked to retire by his uncle partly because he loves her but also because he needs someone who can keep up with the new, better softwares that can enhance his company s productivity. Many teachers nowadays have to read and expect their students to buy new editions of books because many textbooks written several years ago are virtually obsolete. Today s careers require much more than just experience. That further requirement is constant learning which makes elder workers less effective because of their limitations that come with age.

Elder workers are not fit for the economy by causing losses to the employers. With their long years of experience, the older workers salaries easily exceed new employees salaries. My sixty-seven years old high school teacher s salary is the maxim…………………………

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