The Gerontologist, Vol 34, Issue 1 50-58, Copyright © 1994 by The Gerontological Society of America
Private sector hiring and use of retirees: the firm's perspective
BA Hirshorn and DT Hoyer
Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202.
This article examines the hiring and utilization of retiree workers among
U.S. firms with 20 or more employees (e.g., the hiring process, worker
history with the company, scheduling, task assignment, relationship with
other employees). Over 46% of private sector firms in this population hire
retirees. Few firms, however, have a written policy or formalized program
directed at hiring retirees. While assignment of retiree workers to
regularly performed operational tasks is universal, the larger the firm,
the more likely that a substantial proportion of these employees work in
white-collar fields. Study results have practical implications for
employment counseling services, private sector firms, and human resource
specialists.
