Saturday, December 09, 2006

Baby Boomer Discrimination --No Need to Apply

As baby boomers age out, they are finding that companies are either attempting to force them out or into voluntary retirement. Or at will employers decide they want to replace older workers with a younger staff. Folks are living much longer. Today, life expectancy, for baby boomers is much longer than their parents. Folks are living much longer. The old 60s is today's new 50 year old.

The aging baby boomers can retire at age 62 to receive retirement benefit from Social Security. The average for retiring since 1980 has been at least 63, according to Sara E. Rix of
AARP Public Policy Institute in Update on the Aged 55+Worker: 2005, see Rix's Table 3 below:

Social Security Retired Workers: Average
Age of Benefit Award and Percent Awarded
Benefits at Age 62, 1980-2004
Average Age of Award Percent Awarded at 62
Men Women Men Women
1980 63.9 63.7 30.1% 41.6%
1985 63.7 63.4 45.5% 57.9%
1990 63.7 63.5 47.2% 55.9%
1995 63.7 63.5 49.3% 55.4%
2000* 64.1 63.8 41.6% 52.2%
2001* 63.7 63.7 46.8% 51.3%
2002* 63.7 63.6 46.4% 52.9%
2003* 63.6 63.6 48.3% 53.5%
2004 63.7 63.6 49.0% 54.1%
* Includes conversions from nondisabled
widow(er)’s benefits to retired worker benefits.
Source: Social Security Administration, Annual
Statistical Supplement to the Social Security
Bulletin 2005, Table 6.B5.


An individual must earn at least 40 credit from working before receiving this benefit. A credit is granted four credit a year if you earn at least $3,880 during each year The benefits are paid in a monthly check based on their earning. Moreover, the government has thrown in an incentive for baby boomers to delay their retirement past 62. If an individual delay their retirement until the age of 66 or 70, the monthly benefits increases with the highest monthly benefit at age 70. Nevertheless, in 1983 the government increase the full benefit born in 1960 and later to age 67. One the government understand folks are living longer, and second the government has an obligation to make sure these benefits are available to those individuals who contributed to the fund by paying their taxes.

Nevertheless, the aging boomers cost of living far exceed the monthly benefit and many continue to work. Older workers are competing in the labor pools with younger college skilled worker compared to their on the job training skills. Although, some aging boomers refuse to be left behind by returning to college to learn the new technologies can not combat the perception of diminished capacity. The desire for youthfulness in the workplace can not overcome the experienced of boomers or the subtlety of ageism.

For women, ageism is part and parcel of sexism. Especially if they are low or middle income women. You don't see folks requesting or telling Tina Turner to retire, or Barbara Walter, or Martha Stewart or Maya Angelo or Sylvester Stallone. The best protection against ageism that the government could muster up was the United State Age Discrimination Act. The act provides a remedy for those who believe that were unjustly discriminated against based on their age. The act covers individuals who are 40 years old or older.

"A charge of age discrimination can be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the state fair employment agency. The charge must be filed within 180 days of the date of discrimination or within 300 days of the discrimination in states with a law prohibiting age discrimination and an agency to enforce that law", cited in Laura McCann's article, Age Discrimination in Employment Legislation: The United States Experience.

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