Summary
This paper focuses on a study which examined the employment of older workers by small retailers in the United States. It considers the literature on the future role of senior employees in the economy, the merits of hiring these individuals, their needs, and steps which can be undertaken to improve their motivation and make them more productive. Further, it sets forth the results of an empirical investigation into the senior citizen employment practices of small retailers, advantages and disadvantages of employing seniors, and expected future employment trends. The manuscript concludes with a discussion of the implications of these patterns for small retailers.
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Extract
Small Retailer Employment of Older Workers: An Assessment
Introduction
The past several decades have witnessed an aging of the United States population, as those in the baby boom generation and their progeny move on into maturity. This trend continues, as the median age of the country advances rapidly and steadily with the passage of time (Moyers & Dale, 2004). Improvements in nutritional practices, exercise patterns, and medical care have resulted in larger numbers of individuals who reach age 65 and beyond. In turn, many of these experience mental and physical health status that is superior to that of previous generations. Further, large numbers of seniors evidence a preference for expanding their working years beyond age sixty-five, either on a full-time or a part-time basis (Dychtwald, Erickson, & Morison, 2004).Some small retailers are confronted with difficulty in recruiting, hiring and retaining capable employees and have vacant positions in both the skilled and unskilled ranks (Kraut, 2005). This pattern is perhaps most evident in regions of the country experiencing substantial economic growth, such as portions of the Southwest and Southeast. Various means of acquiring additional sought employees are available, but one that appears to possess considerable potential is to hire and retain older workers. For some small retailers, this may be the superior alternative (Peterson & Spiker, 2005).Objectives of the StudyThe study which this manuscript addresses focused on several objectives:1. To provide insights on the degree to which small retailers in the United States employ older workers.2. To uncover advantages of em...See the full content of this document
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