Working leads to a longer life?

[OkieTexan]

Do you agree with Robert Morrison? This commentary was on NBR last night.
He says that continuing to work will lengthen your life! What do you think?

"Commentary"-Rewriting the Retirement Routine
Thursday, March 08, 2007
SUSIE GHARIB: Tonight's commentator says, when it comes to retirement, quitting cold turkey is becoming a thing of the past. He's Robert Morison, director of research at the Concours Group and co-author of "Workforce Crisis."

ROBERT MORISON, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, THE CONCOURS GROUP: It's time to retire retirement. I don't mean delay or deny people their hard-earned retirement benefits. I mean make it easier, more the norm. For capable people to continue to work, typically part-time well past the average retirement age of 63. The quick cold turkey form of retirement, trading full-time work for full-time leisure turns out to be a pretty bad idea. People who work in retirement stay healthier longer. An American who reaches retirement age in good health has an additional life expectancy of about 20 years. That's a big chunk of life. Why not spend part of it producing and earning?

It is also bad for employers and the economy. The workforce growth rate is slowing. And too big a wave of baby boom retirements will leave employers short on knowledge, skill and experience. Employers have to shed their biases against older workers and hold on to their services instead of showing them the door. Most people will still want to retire when eligible. Retirement then means changing your work pattern and maybe your career and financing your life with a new mix of salary, savings, pension and Social Security. But it no longer means not working. For several generations of Americans, a comfortable retirement was the sign of success. I would argue that the real sign of success is the ability to continue succeeding at something you like to do, regardless of your age. Just ask Tony Bennett or Warren Buffett. I'm Robert Morison.

[Khan]

Maybe that's true for some people; but my health has improved immensely since retiring.

[Joss]

Translation:

"Blah, blah, blah... We know that 90% of boomers have no life, interests or identity outside their careers and are terrified of retirement. Homing in on that could provide some cheap labor from aging desperate people. All we need to do is make people feel unpatriotic about it too.... blah, blah, blah." :P

[OkieTexan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joss Homing in on that could provide some cheap labor from aging desperate people. :P

Good Point! I zeroed in on how quickly he switched from the topic of how beneficial work is to the older workers to the benefits employers would reap! Somehow this rhetoric about the nation's employers becoming so desperate for workers that we can name our price is too fantastic to believe!
:

[Texas Proud]

I agree with the guy a bit...

Nobody said that 'work' could not be something you like.. My Mom worked at a youth hostel and the local council for years... and when she was not paid, she volunteered...

She also volunteered at the geneology library... and had a regular schedule, so kind of like work..

She also taught water aerobics for many years (until they 'fired' her at 83)... now she still does it but does not get paid..

Me, I would not mind teaching at a community college or something like that..

For some, having that hook is necessary.. my BIL knew someone who keep a shop opened because his mother 'worked' there... said as long as she wanted to keep coming, he would keep it opened... closed it up shortly after she died in her 90s..

[Cattusbabe]

Some people want to die in the saddle. Bully for them. Me, I could not wait to quit. To each his own.

[newyorklady]

i think that the important factor is to keep both mind and body active. without a job that forces you to do this many don't have the discipline

[Joss]

I've got no problem with any of it.... till it starts to evolve into taking people's choices away.

An example would be a growing trend to raise the age qualifications to draw benefits.


"The quick cold turkey form of retirement, trading full-time work for full-time leisure turns out to be a pretty bad idea."

Oh... I see. Well, as long as it's all for my own good.

[HFWR]

It's not actually longer, it just seems that way... :P

[73ss454]

So I'll die earlier, at least I'll be happy.

[Donzo]

My job would have killed me w/ the stress and constant travel - I am in a much better place now.

If the person retiring is going home to an empty house w/ no interests...then I can see the subject line being potentially true.

[unclemick]

Screw work. 14th year of doing nothing in particular.

Longer life ?? - how about kayaks and hobby stocks??

heh heh heh -

[Nords]

I'm never going to be mistaken for Tony Bennett or Warren Buffett, but I do plenty of free singing & tap-dancing financial research. Does that mean that I haven't retired either?

[dumpster56]

Just working part time gigs when i want to. Sure the Track Coaching job now is a 12 week thing, but I get to workout with the team for the entire practice so I am getting paid a few dollars to workOUT!!

the substitute teaching that I am doing now is just a blast. I have a group of schools I get called to sub at. This week I have an Anatomy and Biology High school job 4 out of 5 days and the lesson involves taking Honors Jrs and Srs to the computer lab to do research. I get to read my great new books.

My blood pressure is lower my wife notices that I do not come home in a nasty mood from work like when I would get out of my car after a 120 mile roundtrip day of working in an inner city american high school!

It really is all good these days. I just need to pinch myself.

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OkieTexan Do you agree with Robert Morrison? This commentary was on NBR last night. He says that continuing to work will lengthen your life! What do you think? ROBERT MORISON, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, THE CONCOURS GROUP: . . . People who work in retirement stay healthier longer.

I think I'd like to see the actual study (but I'm too lazy to do the research). It is likely that the sample of retirees is more likely to contain people who are too sick to work, or at least are sick enough that they want to use their available remaing time doing something other than work. So, "retirees are sicker" or "retirees don't live as long." If they haven't controlled for this in the study (and it's amazing how much crappy "research" makes the news), then the quoted factoid is meaningless.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I've read all of these studies (at least the ones produced so far) and ripped one apart to its little pieces a few years ago.

The bottom line(s):

- Much of the data is anecdotal, some of it was actually as bad as a repeat of what someone said in an earlier study, the data for which that was sourced was finally admitted by the progenitor to be heresy and stuff from the late 1800's and early 1900's. He took data he knew was flaky and unsourced, used it, then someone else "study built" on top of his bad data, presuming it was a valid data point.

- Some of the data simply shows that sick people stop working earlier than healthy people

- Some of the data compares retirees from 25-100 years ago to working people of today, who are healthier and enjoy longer life spans

- None of the studies had a decent demographic division or a viable sample size

- Many of the studies were industry specific (eg: aerospace)

- Some of the studies had a bias so large you could fly a 747 through it sideways with the doors open. One I read was specifically to lead a group of employees to want to work longer and another was to try to get more of the workers to retire early.

In short: Bunch of BEEEE ESSSSS!

That having been said, if you quit working and flop into a chair, you're going to die earlier than if you kept working.

[Meadbh]

Have you noticed that there is a wave of articles and books out there touting the merits of continuing to work? Have you wondered whether there is a sociopoiltical agenda behind it? Demographics, that's what. There won't be enough young people to fill all the jobs in the next few decades.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Its pretty simple. With few exceptions, theres a lot of money to be made and spent and an economy to keep whirling if people keep working.

Not a whole lot of benefit to many businesses/venues to see someone retire vs continue working.

So whole lotta money and marketing wanting everyone to work until they drop...and it shows.

[Eagle43]

77 million baby boomers coming down the pike. Heck, if they can convince 15-20% of them to keep working with articles such as this one, it will be a big help to corporate and government interests. 77 million boomers, who are accustomed to demanding what they want. Add them to the present-day older geezers, throw in a longer lifespan for all, and you've got a mess. I gotta remember to invest in healthcare funds; somebody remind me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cute Fuzzy Bunny That having been said, if you quit working and flop into a chair, you're going to die earlier than if you kept working.

Amen. Life is about choices and if you choose indolence, you choose an early exit... and a boring one.

[OkieTexan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle43 77 million baby boomers coming down the pike. Heck, if they can convince 15-20% of them to keep working with articles such as this one, it will be a big help to corporate and government interests.

I think most corporations are clueless about how to handle the demographic changes headed their way when these boomers start retiring en masse and the next generation comes along making it clear they won't conform like their parents did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cute Fuzzy Bunny That having been said, if you quit working and flop into a chair, you're going to die earlier than if you kept working.

It is interesting, too, that they always seem to compare their studies with the worst examples of the way people live their retirement years. What about the ones who stay active (& fit), pursue interests that benefit others, and don't have time to watch grass grow!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joss I've got no problem with any of it.... till it starts to evolve into taking people's choices away. An example would be a growing trend to raise the age qualifications to draw benefits.

It also seems that a rash of these studies appears to accompany a rise in the interest in raising the age for SS benefits. The OMB Comptroller recently went on TV with an interview about how the US cannot afford to pay for the entitlements it has promised.
Part of their solution calls for boomers to work longer and delay receiving benefits.