ABSTRACT
Demographic projections have shown that by 2012, nearly 20% of the total U.S. workforce will be age 55 or older, up from just under 13% in 2000, leading to a sizable increase in the number of people who will transition into retirement in the next decade (Toossi, 2004). Similarly, 41% of the Canadian working population is expected to be between the ages of 45 and 64 by the year 2021 (Lende, 2005). In the United Kingdom, 30% of workers are already over 50 (Dixon, 2003). These labor force change patterns are also demonstrated by data from other countries and regions (e.g., European Union, Japan, China, and India; Tyers & Shi, 2007), reflecting the fact that the population as a whole is getting older due to several factors, such as the aging of the large Baby Boom generation, lower birth rates, and longer life expectancies (Alley & Crimmins, 2007). Consequently, organizations have to consider older workers’ unique characteristics and career development needs when they develop policies and practices to promote the employee–organization relationship (EOR). Given that older workers may expect different types of obligation from the organization compared to younger workers and may use their perception of the EOR to inform mid and late career-related decisions (e.g., early retirement or bridge employment), studying the EOR from the older workers’ perspective is extremely important.
