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  3. Before our eyes, the world is undergoing a massive demographic transformation

Before our eyes, the world is undergoing a massive demographic transformation

游客2023-12-28  36
问题    Before our eyes, the world is undergoing a massive demographic transformation. Globally, the number of people age 60 and over is projected to double to more than 2 billion by 2050, and those 60 and over will outnumber children under the age of five.
   Some in the public and private sector are already taking note — and sounding the alarm. In his first term as chairman of the US Federal Reserve, with the Great Recession looming, Ben Bernanke remarked, "In the coming decades, many forces will shape our economy and our society, but in all likelihood no single factor will have as pervasive an effect as the aging of our population." Back in 2010, Standard & Poor’s predicted that the biggest influence on "the future of national economic health, public finances, and policymaking" will be "the irreversible rate at which the world’s population is aging".
   "While some people are financially capable of retiring, not all are ready to retire," says the article. "Many older people need to save longer for retirement so they don’t outlive their savings. Others just choose to work longer to continue to remain cognitively engaged and actively contributing to society."
   Unfortunately, misconceptions abound about them: older people will get sick and leave, they are a drain on company benefits, they have difficulty adapting to change and lack technology capabilities, they won’t work as hard as younger people and "are just coasting toward retirement".
   Because of this, they experience the highest rate of unemployment in the general workforce, and for longer periods of time — double that of younger generations. Surveys consistently show people 50-plus believe they experience age discrimination in the job market. Some refer to this age group as "the new unemployable" .
   It is no secret that they offer considerable experience and skills, providing an opportunity for employers across all sectors, especially as the growth rate of the workforce slows or even shrinks in the future. And the companies lucky enough to hire them will reap the many benefits afforded to those who "strategically harness the power of generational diversity and build inclusive age-friendly, organizational cultures".
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答案    如我们所见，世界人口结构正在发生巨大变化。预计到2050年，全球60岁及以上人口将翻一番，超过20亿，比五岁以下孩童的数量还多。
   政府及私营部门的不少专家已开始关注这一问题并敲响警钟。在本-伯南克(Ben Bernanke)担任美联储主席的首个任期内，经济大衰退呈山雨欲来之势，他指出：“在未来数十年间，我们的经济和社会将受多重因素影响，但人口老龄化的影响力无处不在，没有其他因素可与之相比。”早在2010年，标准普尔就预测到“世界人口以不可逆转的速度老龄化”，这将成为对“未来国民经济健康、公共金融以及政策制定”影响最大的因素。
   该文指出： “虽然有些人具备退休的经济实力，但并不是所有人都愿意退休。有不少人需要工作更久才能攒够钱退休，以免有生之年花光积蓄。有的人选择延长工作年限，仅仅是为了保持认知参与并积极奉献社会。”
   不幸的是，人们对老年人有很多误解。比如老年人会生病离开，令企业损失利益；他们难以适应变化，欠缺技术能力，工作不如年轻人努力，混日子等退休等等。
   正因为如此，老年群体在普通劳动者中的失业率最高，失业时间更长——是年轻人的两倍。多次调查显示，五十岁以上的人认为自己在找工作时遭受了年龄歧视。有人称这一年龄群体为“新不宜雇佣一族”。
   众所周知，老年人具有丰富的经验和技能，特别是在未来劳动力增长趋缓甚至萎缩的情况下，老年人可以为各领域的雇主提供新的机遇。有幸雇佣老年员工的企业将收益更多，因为他们“战略性地利用代际多样性，构建了具有包容性且年龄友好的企业文化”。
解析    《哈佛商业评论》(Harvard Business Review)是哈佛商学院的标志性杂志，致力于传播工商管理领域中最前沿的思想理论，给专业人士提供缜密的管理见解和实践案例。
   该文选自2018年《哈佛商业评论》，原文题目是“When No One Retires”。文章包括紧密衔接的两大部分。第一部分讲述全球人口老龄化的现状，援引专家观点指出老龄化问题会对经济、社会发展产生巨大影响。第二部分在老龄化的大背景下，分析了老年人不退休的原因和在就业市场遭受歧视的现状，指出老龄员工具有种种优势，企业应及时审时度势，转变理念，充分发挥老年员工的作用。
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