Older Workers and Information Technology

1. Older Workers and Information Technology September 11, 2003 NC Conference on Aging

2. Overview of the session Introduction (V.W.Marshall) The aging workforce in North Carolina The information technology sector (J.C. Morgan) Age, minority status and IT (M. Moloney) Aging issues in library and information sciences (J.G. Marshall) Open Discussion

3. The aging workforce Most of the projected growth in the US labor force between 2000 and 2050 will be composed of workers aged 55 and over. Workers aged 55 and over will account for a larger share of the US labor force (12.9% in 2000; 18.8% in 2050) Source: Toosi, Mitra. “A century of change: the US labor force, 1950-2050.” Monthly Labor Review, May 2002, Bureau of Labor Statistics

4. Growth rates of the civilian labor force, ages 16 and older

5. Growth in the labor force aged 45-64 between 2000 and 2010

6. IT’s youthful image IT has image of youthfulness Attitudes toward older workers least positive re adaptation to new technology Yet will need to retain older workers to meet workforce needs While lacking career tracks

7. Age structure of the IT workforce As the IT industry grows, recruiting and retaining older workers will become increasingly important given the aging workforce Systematic research on the barriers to recruitment and retention of older workers needs to be conducted (e.g., workplace & industry culture, age discrimination, employer attitudes)

8. What is ‘information technology’ anyway? Jennifer Craft Morgan

9. Computer equipment’s and software’s rising share of Gross Private Domestic Investment

10. The 10 fastest growing industries are service-producing

11. Eight industries account for half of projected 2000-2010 job growth

12. Eight of the fastest growing occupations are computer-related

13. The information technology sector What is ‘information technology’ or IT? What companies are part of the IT industrial sector? As computers are so prevalent, how do we distinguish IT workers from other workers? Should we characterize IT as service producing or goods producing or both? What other industries have substantial overlap with IT? (e.g., telecommunications, information science)

14. Selected Definitions American Electronics Association (AEA) Industries are classified as ‘high tech’ if they are considered a “maker/creator of technology, whether it be in the form of products, communications, or services,” (Platzer, Novak & Kazmierczak, 2003) Includes manufacturing, communication services, and software and tech services

15. Selected Definitions U.S. Census Bureau The ‘information sector’ is comprised of “establishments engaged in the following processes: (a) producing and distributing information and cultural products, (b) providing the means to transmit or distribute these products as well as data or communications, and (c) processing data” Defined as service producing

16. Selected Definitions Freeman and Aspray (1999) A company is part of the ‘IT’ industry if its main purpose is designing, producing or using computer-based systems Uses company by company judgments; requires a definition of ‘main purpose’

17. IT workers “Nine out of ten IT workers are found in banks, insurance companies, manufacturing plants or other non-IT businesses” (Information Association of America, 2003) Occupations Self-Definition “IT Workers” vs. “IT-Enabled Workers”

19. Diversity and IT Mairead Moloney

20. White, non-Hispanics will remain the largest group in the labor force

21. Women’s labor force growth will continue to outpace men’s

22. Racial and ethnic diversity in the IT workforce “If these groups [women, Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans] were represented in the IT workforce in proportion to their representation in the U.S. population, this country would have more than an adequate supply of workers to fill even the most dire estimates of a [IT workforce] shortage.” Freeman and Aspray,(1999) p.12

23. Gender and IT Though the participation rate of women in the US workforce is increasing, the participation rate of women in IT is decreasing in the overall IT workforce 1996 2002 41% 34.9% Among computer professionals, only one out of five is a woman.

24. Gender and IT, cont. Women are overrepresented in low-status IT jobs (i.e. data entry keyers – 85%; computer operators 53%) Women are underrepresented in high-status IT jobs (i.e. electrical and electronic engineers, 9%; computer system analysts and scientists 27%; computer programmers 27%) On average, women’s earnings in the IT field are only 76% of their male peer’s salary.

25. Race and Ethnicity Similar to patterns for women, racial and ethnic minorities are overrepresented in low-status IT jobs (i.e. data entry keyers 16% for African Americans12.6% for Hispanics) and underrepresented in high-status IT jobs (i.e electrical and electronic engineers 5.9% for African Americans and 4% for Hispanics). This situation is compounded by the fact that minorities are less likely to attend college or graduate school than women or white males.

26. Percentage of participation in the US and IT workforces, by race/ethnicity

27. Undergraduate Degrees in Computer Science, Engineering and Engineering related technologies, by percent 1999-2000

28. Future research should focus on… The intersection of gender, and age. The intersection of race/ethnicity and age. Methods of encouraging employers to invest in a more diverse IT workforce; inclusive of older workers, women and racial and ethnic minorities.

29. INFORMATION AND LIBRARY SCIENCE AND THE AGING WORKFORCE Joanne Gard Marshall     Dean and Professor, School of Information and Library Science     University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill      marshall@ils.unc.edu      http://www.ils.unc.edu/~marshall/presentations/

30. Visions from the Edge people, information and technology...the edge of change exploring boundaries...opportunities in uncertainty... the competitive edge...taking risks... looking out, looking in...digital futures... managing transitions...moving forward... the leading edge...working together... creating the future...

31. Megatrends industrial society information society forced technology high tech/high touch national economy world economy short term long term centralization decentralization

32. Megatrends institutional help self-help representative democracy participative democracy hierarchies networking north south either/or multiple option

33. Workforce 2000 Trends A national labor shortage A skills mismatch An aging workforce A culturally diverse workforce More women in the workforce Changing worker values and lifestyles

34. Librarians and aging – the triple whammy Baby boomer aging Proportion of late entrants Trend towards early exit

35. Age of U.S. Librarians and Comparable Professionals, 1998 (Adapted from Wilder,2000)

36. Age Distribution of Librarians: Results from the Readex Survey, 1999 (Lynch, 2000)

37. Specific Strategies Recruiting earlier AND later Thinking broadly of information service skills Taking a flexible, service-oriented approach

38. Steps in Succession Planning Inside the library   Determine where the library will be in 5-10 years Do a skills inventory Develop and implement plan Include specific mentorship activities Review and update the plan regularly

39. Steps in Succession Planning Outside the library Raise awareness Identify partner organizations Develop joint mentorship activities Develop joint marketing approaches Broaden focus to profession-wide level

40. www.aging.unc.edu Program on Older Workers and Retirement International Project: www.wane.ca