Some Hard, Cold Facts for Americans

Consider the following: In a 60 Minutes program aired late last year, Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, said there is a “rising inequality” in terms of unemployment: the unemployment rate for college graduates is 5%, but the rate for high school graduates is 10% or more. Money Magazine created a list of “top careers” taking into account such factors as projected growth rate, average salaries, stress level, and flexibility. The top 5 of the list are: software architect physician assistant management consultant physical therapist environmental engineer Each of these careers will require some level of post-secondary training or education. That means those with only high school diplomas will fall even further behind in terms of the factors that define a “top career.” In a parallel study, it was reported that people in the highest income group can expect to live, on average, at least six and a half years longer than those in the lowest group. Kent Gilbreath, professor of economics at Baylor University, has done a study (with 2008 statistics, the latest available) that shows the average starting salary for males at $52,301 and the average starting salary for females at $46,121. A study at UC Irvine’s Clinic for Aging Research determined that 79% of people aged 90 and over are disabled, and that women are twice as likely as men to be disabled. While 2010 was the 20th anniversary for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the statistics show that gains made under the ADA, like every other entity in the economy, have been adversely affected by the recession. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left nearly 40,000 U.S. service-members wounded and have caused veterans’ disability claims to skyrocket to a point of impending disaster. In the final analysis, issues like these can only be addressed through our political process. So, if we want to address all or some of these serious realities of American life in 2011, where do we start? Are any of these issues worthy of our attention? If so, who specifically can we talk to about these and related realities? What do you think?

Older Workers: What Good Are They?

The issue of older workers in the workplace was recently (December 2010) tackled by the Knowledge@Wharton program. What would be your answer to each of the following statements about older people? Myth 1: Older workers cost more than younger ones and are less productive on the job. _____ True _____ False Myth 2: People at or near retirement age tend to lose interest in their jobs. _____ True _____ False Myth 3: Older workers in the workforce keep younger ones from getting jobs. _____ True _____ False ________________ Reality 1: Both concerns are untrue. While older workers may take longer to recover from injuries, studies show they use fewer sick days on the whole than their younger counterparts. Health care costs are actually less for older workers because most no longer have small children as dependents on their health care plans. Further, workers also become eligible for Medicare at age 65, which can further reduce an employer’s health care bills. When it comes to job performance, older workers frequently outdo their younger colleagues. Older workers have less absenteeism, less turnover, and superior interpersonal skills, and they deal better with customers. Reality 2: Studies have found that those who worked beyond retirement age became more, rather than less, engaged and satisfied with their work. And contrary to the belief that older workers resist learning new things, older workers ranked “job challenge and learning” as a top source of satisfaction with their work. Reality 3: While it may be a widespread belief that you have to get older people to retire to open up the career ladder and jobs for young people, the opposite is true. Policies in countries that encourage workers to retire early actually have damaging impact on youth employment. This research is reported in full at Knowledge@Wharton’s website in an article titled, “The ‘Silver Tsunami’: Why Older Workers Offer Better Value Than Younger Ones.” Share your experiences with older workers with others by commenting.

Season’s Greetings from Jasen, Esther,

and the Staff of CEC Associates

Ruby Green Singing

James Chapin (1887-1975)

There is a long tradition of using art on greeting cards to convey sentiments in respect to a particular event or holiday. So we have taken up that idea and created a season’s greeting card for our friends and colleagues with a work of art that we think illustrates our primary sentiment at this time of year.

Much of the art on cards is derived from religious content. We chose our art to convey a sense of gratitude, which, while not necessarily thought of as religious, signifies our feelings for this season. We chose gratitude because we are exceedingly grateful for our friends, our clients, and our lot in life. Further, and not incidentally, we chose gratitude because it is one of the “Values in Action” that are at the heart of Positive Psychology. (“Gratitude: It is important to appreciate each day that you are alive.”) We are strong advocates of Positive Psychology methods, especially as they relate to, and inform, our work in disability management in the workplace.

Ruby Green Singing is, we believe, a painting that makes obvious the gratitude sentiment. This painting was created in 1928. It was painted by a New Jersey resident named James Chapin. Chapin studies art in New York City, and also, as with most artists of the day, in Paris. He taught for a time at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

Ruby Green was a graduate of the Julliard School of Music and was well known as a soloist and gospel singer in the New York City area. She frequently sang the role of Bess in George Gershwin’s opera, Porky and Bess, including that special role in a touring company that visited Europe and Israel at the time. While the painting reflects Ruby’s religious intensity, it also, we believe, conveys a deep sense of gratitude. We were taken by what we believe is a great illustration of gratitude, and we wanted to share it with everyone.

As we mentioned, we are grateful for the hand that life has dealt us and, especially, for having all the talented friends and colleagues we have. We would like to hear from anyone else out there who is also grateful, and for what.

What are you grateful for this holiday season?