Social Security Retirement Benefit Awards Hit All-Time High in 2009

The Urban Institute reports that the number of people who began collecting Social Security rose to 1.3 million men and 1.9 million women, setting a new record. It is believed that part of the impetus for the increase was people forced to claim Social Security because they were unable to obtain jobs.

Full report is available

Older Adults' Labor Force Participation since 1993: A Decade and a Half of Growth

The Urban Institute presents detailed data on the number of older Americans in the workplace, finding that in adults age 55 and older made up nearly a fifth of the nation’s labor force.

Report
Data appendix

How Seniors Change Their Asset Holdings During Retirement

This report from the Urban Institute examines how seniors manage their financial holdings upon retirement. Of specific concern is the finding that lower income seniors quickly deplete their savings, resulting in an increasing reliance on Social Security and other public safety net programs.

Full report is available

Adult Immunization: Shots to Save Lives

Trust for America's Health's Issue Brief finds that over 33% of seniors are not vaccinated against pneumonia, and that only 2.1% of adults have had the tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough vaccine in the previous two years; only 10% of eligible adult women have had the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; and only 36.1% of all adults were vaccinated against the seasonal flu in 2008.

Full report is available
Press release

Tips to Avoid Financial Strain With Aging Parents

The New York Times examines the issue of the financial security of baby boomers with aging parents. The article reports that individuals may not have made financial plans that include caring for a financially insolvent parent.

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Work Ability and the Social Insurance Safety Net in the Years Prior to Retirement

The Urban Institute presents a report which details disability benefit receipt, income, and poverty status for aging Americans. The report analyzes data from the Health and Retirement Study, finding that less that one half of the people who meet disability criteria receive disability benefits in their fifties or early sixties.

Full report is available

Study: Dieting May Not Be Helpful for Overweight Elderly

Wall Street Journal discusses a new study which finds that overweight elderly may be better off by not dieting.

Wall Street Journal Commentary
Article from Journal of the American Geriatric Society