ABSTRACT
Deepening pathologies including addiction and mental health problems have afflicted this marginalized aging rural workforce to a higher degree than their urban counterparts. Active labor market and well-being policies focused on the aging workforce need immediate attention from policymakers. The aging U.S workforce now has a greater share of the older workers and their increasing participation has contributed to buttressing US labor force growth. Such strategies, however, must challenge old assumptions about the economic and workforce development. Significant structural and technological changes are redefining the workings of labor markets and the preferences of employers. Worker scarcity and workforce development remain formidable challenges for the American business and the industry. An aging rural workforce may be able to find new opportunities to extend their working lives and improve living standards in the context of the economic innovation and tight labor markets.
