Evolving technology in the U.S. service sector isn’t benefiting older workers – Harvard KSG
“The lengthening of American life expectancy is an incredible achievement but also potentially puts a considerable strain on the finances of such core programs as Social Security which is age-based and for which costs rise with length of life. Many have sought a ‘fix’ for Social Security’s funding issues by suggesting that as lives have lengthened so too should workers simply work longer. While that may be all well and good for workers in professional or office jobs, workers in high-strain jobs face both shorter life expectancy and much more physical difficulty working later into life. The most equitable solution may not be to have these disadvantaged workers work longer, but rather to seek other sources of funding for Social Security.
“But, short of such structural fixes, many have suggested that technology could help older workers stay in the job longer by reducing strain. We take a close look at the service sector in the United States—jobs in retail and food service—and examine how technology often deployed there, such as sales tech like self-checkout as well as speed tracking and surveillance technologies, affects older workers’ job retention intentions. We don’t find any evidence that sales technology increases older workers’ job satisfaction or intention to stay on the job.”
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