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Title: Why the US science and engineering workforce is aging rapidly

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2017

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Abstract: The science and engineering workforce has aged rapidly in recent years, both in absolute terms and relative to the workforce as a whole. This is a potential concern if the large number of older scientists crowds out younger scientists, making it difficult for them to establish independent careers. In addition, scientists are believed to be most creative earlier in their careers, so the aging of the workforce may slow the pace of scientific progress. We develop and simulate a demographic model, which shows that a substantial majority of recent aging is a result of the aging of the large baby boom cohort of scientists. However, changes in behavior have also played a significant role, in particular a decline in the retirement rate of older scientists, induced in part by elimination of mandatory retirement in universities in 1994. Furthermore, the age distribution of the scientific workforce is still adjusting to this policy change. Current retirement rates and other determinants of employment in science imply a steady state mean age 2.3 years higher than the 2008 level of 48.6.

Url: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/03/21/1611748114.abstract

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Authors: Blau, David M; Weinberg, Bruce A

Periodical (Full): Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Issue: 15

Volume: 114

Pages: 3879-3884

Data Collections: IPUMS USA, IPUMS CPS

Topics: Aging and Retirement, Labor Force and Occupational Structure

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