#104 - How Long Can We Work?

One of the warning signs of the oncoming retirement crisis is that people are often told they can make up for a lack of retirement savings by working longer. But even if people have the health and strength to keep working past traditional retirement ages, there’s no guarantee they will be able to find a job. Instead, our retirement system abandons older people in an unfriendly labor market at the moment they are most vulnerable to age discrimination. In the fourth episode of Reset Retirement, we take a deeper dive into how the common advice to work longer plays out in real life.  First, we hear from Mikhail, a lawyer, and Stephanie, a former advertising professional. They both describe running into unexpected career disruptions in their late 40s and early 50s, revealing to them how age discrimination is a barrier to both keeping career jobs as you age as well as finding another one after a layoff. Next, we hear from our expert round table, including host Teresa Ghilarducci and our guests, Vincent Alvarez, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, and economist Tony Webb. Together, they lay bare the harsh realities of aging in the American workforce, how age discrimination interacts with low retirement savings, and the importance of the right to retire. Finally, we highlight those leading the charge against age discrimination in the courts.