By Josh Bivens It is often underrecognized how much population aging is currently reducing the growth rate of the U.S. labor force and will continue to pull it down in coming decades. The share of the population that is over the age of 65 (when labor force participation tends to take a steep fall on average) is rising rapidly. This share was 12.4% in 2007, 17.9% in 2024, and will hit 21.2% by 2035 (CBO 2025b). A recent EPI report...
By Zahra Jafari, Melissa Andrew & Kenneth Rockwood Background Environmental air pollution is increasingly recognised as a potential contributor to frailty. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesise existing evidence on the associations between environmental air pollution and frailty in middle-aged and older adults, providing insights into the impact of air pollution on public health. Methods The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement 2020. Four electronic databases were searched without...
By Kanta Ogawa Older male workers exhibit diverse retirement behaviors across occupations and respond differently to policy changes, influenced significantly by the part-time penalty—wage reduction faced by part-time workers compared to their full-time counterparts. Many older individuals reduce their working hours, and in occupations with high part-time penalties, they tend to retire earlier, as observed in data from Japan and the United States. This study develops a general equilibrium model that incorporates occupational choices, endogenous labor supply, highlighting that the...
By Aruhan Rui Shi & Hongyan Zhao Population aging is becoming a significant concern, particularly as its pace accelerates, especially in emerging market economies. However, labeling all individuals aged 65 and above as elderly can be misleading and inaccurate when life expectancy is increasing. Therefore, using the prospective old-age dependency ratio to define what is elderly would allow for more precise measurements and facilitate research into the impact of aging on economic growth. Our findings suggest that while a negative...
Air pollution increases the likelihood of people becoming frail in middle and old age, according to an international review of studies. People are living longer and, while this is often painted as a challenge to healthcare systems, it is also something to celebrate. There are many opportunities to increase the quality of life in old age, maximise independence and minimise the amount time spent being ill. Dr Zahra Jafari, from Dalhousie University and coauthor of the review, said: “Frailty is a critical health outcome...
The world is ageing at an unprecedented pace. The change in global demography caused by population ageing has been a notable phenomenon in recent times. The global population of people aged 60 and above is expected to increase from 1.1 billion in 2023 to 1.4 billion in 2030. Moreover, the pace of population ageing has been significantly faster than in the past, with an estimated increase in the proportion of older people in the global population from 12% to 22% between 2015 and 2050. Between 1974...
Friendships that have survived the odds and persevered for years can help slow down biological ageing, a new study has found. Such relationships and engagement may 'reset' the body's internal clocks to lower the biological age, the research published in the journal Brain, Behavior & Immunity - Health, highlighted. Drawing on data from 2117 adults who participated in a study called the Midlife in the United States, researchers noted that people with greater "cumulative social advantage" showed slower rates of biological...
Observed on October 1 of each year, International Day of Older Persons recognizes the contributions of older adults and raises awareness of the challenges they may face. As the world undergoes a profound demographic shift with increasing life expectancies, many communities lack the structures or opportunities that allow the older population to thrive. Societies are confronted with a once-in-a-generation choice: reimagine systems to support longevity for all or risk stagnation with outdated structures. “Improving the quality of life for older individuals and...
By Andrew Kelmanson, Anonymous Author, Emily Sehati, Eliana Svilik, Kyle H. Chan, Marcus Hsieh & Will Pirone The Russo-Ukrainian War has exacerbated several of the country’s existing public health crises. Specifically, this paper identifies 3 areas of public health concern that are inflamed by the conflict in Ukraine that will likely have an outsized effect on the economic success and political legitimacy of the country in the coming years. These are, namely, alcohol addiction, an aging population, and attrition from...
By Hanteng Li, Yun Qin & Yuhang Wang This paper uses Chinese listed companies from 2009 to 2023 as a sample to systematically examine the impact pathways and mechanisms through which population aging influences corporate strategic transformation. The study finds a significant positive relationship between population aging and corporate strategic transformation, and this conclusion remains robust under multiple sensitivity tests. Further analysis of moderating effects indicates that a firm’s innovation capability plays an important moderating role in the relationship between...
