Res. No. 760

Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.3004/A.6324, which would establish an Office of Older Adult Workforce Development within the State Office for the Aging.

By Council Members Hudson, Stevens, Gutiérrez, Louis, Farías, Schulman and Hanif

Whereas, In the United States (U.S.), with the exception of the loss of life since early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, life spans have greatly increased since the early twentieth century; and

Whereas, Today, a 65 year old in good health can expect to live to nearly 90 years of age, while experts in longevity believe that children born this century should prepare to live to 100 years of age; and

Whereas, Moreover, health spans, which refers to the years one can live without requiring care, are also increasing, which means that older adults are working for many more years than ever before; and

Whereas, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that those 55 years and older will comprise nearly 25 percent of the labor force in 2024; and

Whereas, With a population of 4.6 million New Yorkers age 60 and older, New York State (“State”) has the fourth largest population of older adults in the country; and

Whereas, Compared to the rest of the U.S., the State has a higher share of its labor force that is 65 and older, a group which grew 32.8 percent over the decade and comprised 22.1 percent of the population in 2021, which is nearly 5 percent higher than in 2011; and

Whereas, In New York City (NYC), there are more than 1 million people age 60 and older, and that figure is projected to grow by 40 percent over the next couple of decades; and

Whereas, According to the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, half of New Yorkers age 55 and older have no money in traditional retirement accounts and 40 percent of New Yorkers between the ages of 50 and 64 have less than $10,000 saved in such accounts; and
                     Whereas, Additionally, 21 percent of those 65 and older live below the poverty line in NYC; and

Whereas, According to research from the Age Smart Employer Awards project at Columbia University, there are numerous advantages to retaining and hiring older workers; and

Whereas, Such advantages include “experience, critical thinking and sheer knowledge that cannot be taught;” having a strong work ethic; higher rates of productivity in multigenerational teams; and capacity to train the next generation of workers; and

Whereas, Older workers tend to stay in jobs longer and take fewer days off; and

Whereas, In 2022, the median tenure of workers ages 55-64 in all industries was 9.8 years, which was more than three times the 2.8 years for workers ages 25-34, according to BLS; and

Whereas, While the Equal Employment Commission had advised that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 projects job applicants against discrimination for years, some federal courts have ruled otherwise since 2016; and

Whereas, According to a 2022 AARP Research survey of nearly 3,000 people age 50 and older, 62 percent of respondents think older workers face discrimination in the workplace based on age and, among them, 93 percent believe that age discrimination against older workers is common in the workplace; 32 percent report hearing negative comments in the workplace about an older co-worker’s age over the past two years; 17 percent say that they have been the recipient of negative comments about their age at work; and 13 percent have been passed up for a promotion or chance to get ahead because of their age; and

Whereas, S.3004, sponsored by State Senator Cordell Cleare, and A.6324, sponsored by State Assembly Member Al Stirpe, would amend the elder law, in relation to creating the Office of Older Adult Workforce within the State Office for the Aging, as well as establish the duties of the coordinator, which include helping to plan and implement efforts to help address the needs of older adults in the workplace; creating a centralized website with resources for older adults; providing information on prohibitions against age discrimination and remedies to victims of such discrimination; and conducting outreach and education on the services provided by the Office; and

Whereas, Whether out of financial necessity or a desire to continue to work, an increasing number of older New Yorkers are delaying retirement or reentering the workforce after retiring, and they deserve the assistance they require to gain or retain employment; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.3004/A.6324, which would establish an Office of Older Adult Workforce Development within the State Office for the Aging.

LS #12911

06/09/2023

CGR