Submitted by Diamond Medical Spa and Vein
The number of cosmetic procedures and surgeries continue to increase year after year with the advancing age of Americans due to societal pressures to stay “Forever Young,” as Rod Stewart sang. Partially fueling the desire to remain youthful is the increased awareness of safer, less costly, minimally invasive cosmetic procedure options. Mature Americans are finding themselves in competition with younger job seekers. While the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects both employees and job applicants who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age, the legislation cannot prevent age bias.
Like it or not, humans compare themselves and others. People in influential employment positions often discriminate on the basis of age. Howard Elgit, in his article, “Age Bias in the American Workplace—An Overview, in the Journal of International Aging Law & Policy, does an excellent job describing the history, social and personal implications of age, and ageism. He points out, “Informally, age serves as a covert, but powerful, trigger for how we react to, and interact with, both those younger and those older than us; as a factor—sometimes obvious, sometimes subliminal—in arousing or discouraging sexual attraction; as a determinant as to what is appropriate in terms of how one dresses and how one presents oneself to others; and, again, much more.”
Elgit says, “the predicted total labor force was expected to increase 8.5 percent during the period 2006–2016, but when analyzed by age categories, very different trends emerge. The number of workers in the youngest group, age 16–24, is projected to decline during the period while the number of workers age 25–54 will rise only slightly. In sharp contrast, workers age 55–64 are expected to climb by 36.5 percent. The number of workers between the ages of 65 and 74 and those aged 75 and up are predicted to soar by more than 80 percent. By 2016, workers age 65 and over are expected to account for 6.1 percent of the total labor force, up sharply from their 2006 share of 3.6 percent.”
Increasingly, many are faced with the lack of choice of whether they will retire at the traditional age of 65 years old or not because they need to work. After the 2008 economic collapse and financial devastation of personal savings for multitudes of Americans, it is becoming a reality for many that they will have to work longer. When you consider the large numbers of people living almost 30 years after the retirement age, the question becomes, “What monetary resources are they living on?”
Indeed, data collected by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics supports the prediction: “With the baby boom generation about to start joining the ranks of those 65 and over, the graying of the American workforce is only just beginning.” Moreover, the nature of the employment of older workers is also changing, with a decrease in part-time participation and an increase in full-time work.
Some of us are taking better care of ourselves than people did in the 1950s–1990s. We exercise, eat responsibly, drink less, smoke less, live longer, and look better for our age! The American Society of Plastic Surgeons annual statistics reported 15.9 million surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2015, a two percent increase over 2014. More and more Americans are staying “forever young.” Although he is not American-born, even Rod Stewart is still working at 71 years old!
Diamond Medical Spa & Vein is located at 3170 E. 53rd Street in Davenport. Call 563-275-4701 today to schedule a consultation.
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