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Requested Technical Paper
Technical Paper: Structural Impediments to Phased Retirement
The labor market in the United States experienced tremendous changes during the twentieth century. Not only did the number of workers increase substantially but the characteristics of workers at the end of the century were remarkably different than those of 100 or even 50 years ago. The modern-day U.S. worker is generally more educated, less likely to be of European heritage, and more likely to be female than workers of the earlier era. Despite the fact that work has become less physically demanding, at the beginning of the twenty-first century older members of society are much less likely to be in the labor force than was the case throughout much of the twentieth century. [US - March 2003]