are available to fill them. The 1-day meetings bring together women who are seeking employment, representatives of employers, and members of the community who are seeking to help women market their skills and services. The National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs will encourage the career advancement committees of its State and local groups to originate and promote earning opportunities forums wherever practical and possible. National chairman of the federation's career advancement committee is Mrs. Isabella J. Jones. Mrs. Leopold described the new plan for increased forum activity of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs as extremely significant and as a step which should benefit older women jobseekers throughout the country. "The National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs," she said, "is a unique force in the lives of business and professional women. It has 40 years of experience and know-how. In addition, its members are dedicated to their mission of elevating standards for women workers and extending their opportunities in industrial, scientific, and vocational activities." The federation has a membership of 174,000 in 3,300 clubs in the 49 States and the District of Columbia, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Though providing the leadership in future forums, the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs will receive the assistance of various agencies, including the Labor Department's Bureau of Employment Security. Among organizations which have cooperated in earlier forums have been labor and management groups, religious, civic, and other groups concerned with increasing earning opportunities for women; and such women's organizations as the American Association of University Women and the Altrusa, Pilot, Quota, Soroptimist, and Zonta Clubs. The continued participation of these groups and organizations is expected. Forums have been held to date in Baltimore, Md.; Boston and Springfield, Mass.; Washington, D.C.; Seattle and Ephrata, Wash.; Philadelphia, Pa.; St. Louis, Mo.; St. Petersburg and Miami, Fla.; and Little Rock, Ark. The 12th will take place in Denver on February 19 and the 13th in Reno on February 21. Of today's women workers, some 8 million, or more than a third of the total, are 45 years of age and over. "This fact alone," Mrs. Leopold said, "indicates that mature women can and are contributing immeasurably to the well-being of the Nation and apparently are performing their work to the satisfaction of their many employers. However, it is a fact that mature women who have never worked outside of their homes and older women seeking new opportunities sometimes encounter difficulties in locating employment. This is one of the reasons for the forum and its practical approach to the various problems of older women workers and job seekers. Programs of this kind not only focus public attention on a social and economic problem but actively seek satisfactory solutions." Hon. PAT MCNAMARA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS, U.S. Senate, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, MY DEAR SENATOR: I acknowledge receipt of and thank you for your letter of July 17, 1959, regarding the hearings before the Senate Subcommittee on Problems of the Aged and Aging. My reply to your letter was delayed by the fact that it was necessary for me to await a decision from our industrial relations department and our employee health and benefits committee. I have just received word from our New York headquarters and we would like very much to accept your invitation and to file a statement dealing with the four general areas set forth in your letter. We shall be very pleased to discuss this further with Mr. Sidney Spector, your staff director. However, as indicated above, our New York headquarters have indicated a desire to file a complete statement rather than to send a witness. We should be very pleased to participate in these hearings by the filing of a statement. Sincerely yours, 47461-59--18 STEPHEN F. DUNN. STATEMENT OF STEPHEN F. DUNN, VICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION WASHINGTON, August 14.—Greater employment opportunities for older people, especially during the next decade, were forecast today by the National Association of Manufacturers. The NAM, in a statement filed with a congressional committee, said that the Nation's labor force is expected to increase 10 million in the next 10 years and that 24 million of these workers likely will be men and women over 55 years of age. Because of the low birthrate in the 1930's there will be fewer available workers in the 25 to 44 age group and this will widen the market for older workers. The NAM, which presented it findings to the Senate Labor Committee's Subcommittee on Problems of the Aging, pointed out that the proportion of older workers in industry has been growing steadily and today is at the highest point in history. This employment trend has been stimulated by the NAM which for decades has urged businessmen to hire on the basis of skills and abilities rather than on an arbitrary age factor. Thirty years ago the association began promoting the employment of older workers and since that time has periodically surveyed its member companies to determine actual on-the-job performance of such workers. These surveys, the NAM statement said, have shown an increasing appreciation of the value of older workers. This group of employees has been found equal to or better than younger workers in work performance, safety, work attitudes, and attendance. In reporting their satisfactory experience with older workers, NAM member companies described them as "more dependable," "generally better producers and more conscientious," and "appreciative of the chance to work." Also, the surveys found that older workers are safer workers and that they require less supervision. The NAM's program includes meetings, conferences, and roundtable clinics for member companies designed to stimulate acceptance of older workers on the basis of their qualifications for available jobs. The association also distributes educational materials designed to guide industrial management in dealing with older applicants for employment. In its statement to the congressional group, the NAM pointed out that the older worker himself has a heavy responsibility in meeting the challenge of employment. "At times," the NAM statement said, "the older job seeker puts obstacles in his own path. Instead of accentuating his strong points and skills, he may build up the 'accent on youth' idea and magnify the handicap of age. A determination to steer clear of a 'prejudice complex' is most important to the older person looking for work. He must be willing to learn new things and to adjust to changing conditions. "In our attempts to aid the older unemployed worker, we must be careful not to encourage the false idea that the individual no longer needs to look after himself. He has a major responsibility in fitting himself into the work force at the highest level his qualifications permit. To this end both industry and the Government must avoid policies or practices that discriminate in favor of either the younger or the older job seeker." STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS The National Association of Manufacturers appreciates this opportunity to express its views on the abilities and worth of older workers and the substantial contributions they make to the economy as well as on the problem confronting job seekers in the upper age brackets and the employment opportunities open to them. We also appreciate the opportunity to outline the association's activities in stimulating the employment of older persons and the results of these efforts. The association has some 20,000 member companies of all types and sizes located in all parts of the country. The bulk of our membership consists of small companies. Five out of every six of our member companies employ fewer than 500 persons and almost half employ fewer than 100. Over onequarter of our member companies employ less than 50 people. We feel that the size distribution of our membership is an important factor in this presentation. It enables us to discuss the problem of providing em ployment opportunities for the older worker with full awareness of the circumstances and problems which vary sharply between companies, industries, and various regions of the country; and further with the knowledge that there is no single solution to the problem. Basic philosophy The NAM believes in a free society in which the people are free to act, work, and choose. We believe that a free society with a dynamic economy in which the welfare of each individual depends primarily upon his own ability, industry, and thrift is the best way to build up the real income of the Nation and thus attain the social, material, and technological progress which provides the basis of security for us all. It follows, therefore, that we hold that our private competitive enterprise system is the best means of providing every opportunity for individuals to obtain available jobs for which they are qualified and are willing to accept. For decades the association has advocated and stimulated the adoption by industry of hiring practices based on the principle that the employment of individuals and their assignment to jobs should be determined by the matching of individual skills and qualifications with the requirements of the available jobs. We advocate that no arbitrary limitations to employment be set up on the basis of age or physical handicap. We place such stress on this concept that an official NAM policy position has been formulated, the pertinent parts of which appear below: "EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES FOR OLDER WORKERS "Older workers represent countless years of rich and seasoned experience, judgment and stability, and constitute an immensely valuable asset in the Nation's work force. "Employers are urged to observe voluntary hiring practices which give consideration to skills and abilities rather than to any arbitrary age factor ***” Contribution by mature employees Our private competitive enterprise system has brought our economy to the point where we Americans enjoy the highest standard of living in the world. An outstanding contribution to this growth has been made by the work of the experienced, mature people in the upper age bracket in industry, commerce, the professions and government service. In industry there is a traditional appreciation of the value of the older worker which is expressed in such terms as promotion and increased responsibility with, of course, commensurate increases in compensation and prestige. Encouragement and assistance in building security for the retired years is another reward for long service. Year by year the proportion of older workers in industry has grown steadily. Today it is at the highest level ever reached. The employer is exhibiting sound business judgment when he places more and more value on the mature employee whose store of experience, knowledge, and skill enables the employer to maintain production and to meet competition in the open market. The problem 1 A recent study' by the U.S. Department of Labor indicates that the rate of unemployment in the over-45-year-old group as well as in the over-65-year group is considerably less than the average for young workers and somewhat less than the average for all age groups. Nevertheless, the individual in these older age groups who is seeking employment and encounters obstacles finds no comfort in the fact that statistics show age, as such, is not a factor in locating a job. Industry's progress American industry has long been concerned with this problem and has been deeply conscious of the fact that all possible job opportunities should be provided for those qualified and willing to accept available jobs. As an example, over the years, the National Association of Manufacturers has consistently opposed any arbitrary limitations to employment opportunities based on age. Thirty years ago, in 1929, one complete session of the annual meeting of the association, was devoted to "The Older Worker in Industry." At that time a 1 "The Unemployed-Spring 1959," May 1959, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Employment Security, Washington, D.C. list of occupations in industry especially suited to overage workers was suggested. The problem of pensions and the question of hiring-age limits were discussed and general agreement was reached that the only yardstick for getting. and holding a job should be qualifications for the job and ability to perform. Again 10 years later in 1938 after opposing the establishment of arbitrary upper age limits in employment, the NAM policy statement was: "It urges its members to carefully review their employment policies to see that no such arbitrary age limits are practiced in their companies, and instruct their respective employment officers to employ persons according to their qualifications without regard to any maximum age." NAM activities In stimulating the practice of these sound employment practices, the following activities are undertaken by the National Association of Manufacturers: A. The NAM conducts meetings, conferences, and roundtable clinics for member companies designed to stimulate acceptance of older workers on the basis of their qualifications for available jobs, irrespective of the question of age or other arbitrary factors. B. The NAM participates in work sessions, study groups, and national conferences on employment for older workers held by the National and State Governments, welfare organizations, universities, and other groups. C. The NAM undertakes surveys at intervals to evaluate current problems, policies and practices in dealing with older applicants, overage applicants, and to determine the actual on-the-job performance of these groups of employees. D. The NAM widely disseminates educational materials designed to guide industrial management in dealing with older applicants for employment. E. The NAM provides practical and sound information to promote greater understanding on the part of industrial management of the contribution older workers can make. F. The NAM issues statements promoting job opportunities for the older worker, pointing to the tremendous reservoirs of judgment, performance, and loyalties inherent in this group of employees. G. The NAM regularly uses the "It's Your Business" radio network program and "Industry On Parade" (TV syndicated feature) to show the public generally the extent of the contribution to our economic prosperity being made by mature workers. Effectiveness of programs Some idea of the progress being made-so far as acceptance of the older worker is concerned-is indicated by comparing two NAM membership surveys, conducted in 1939 and 1951. In both instances employers were asked to rate their older employees as superior, equal, or not equal to younger employees on the basis of "work performance," "attendance," "safety," and "work attitude." The 1939 survey used 40 years of age as the dividing line between younger and older workers. In the 1951 survey the dividing line was advanced to 45. years, in view of prevailing practice-a fact significant in itself. The 1939 study covered some 2,500 companies; the 1951 survey, about 3,600 companies. Briefly, the comparison indicated that in work performance, while 84.6 percent of employers in 1939 considered the older worker was equal or better, the figure had advanced to 92.7 percent by 1951. The improvement in attendance was even more marked. In 1939, 82.5 percent of employers rated the older employees as equal or better than the younger group, while in 1951, 98.1 percent said that the oldsters were as regular or more regular in coming to work. As for safety, 86.2 percent of the 1939 employers gave their older people an equal or better stands in avoiding accidents. Twelve years later this figure had risen to 97.4 percent. Employers were almost unanimous in their high opinion of the older workers' work attitude. In the 1939 survey 94.8 percent of the respondents said that their older workers were equal or superior to the younger workers in this respect. In 1951 the percentage holding this opinion rose to 99.2 percent. In summary: More recently the National Association of Manufacturers surveyed a sample of 500 member companies to determine the current practices in industry with respect to older applicants. A brief summary of their replies is as follows: 1. For the most part, companies reported that they hired older job applicants on the basis of qualifications rather than age. A few indicated preference for the over-45 applicant especially where skills were sought. 2. It was generally agreed that in view of the wide coverage of OASDI, the existence of a company pension plan should not mitigate against the hiring of over-45 jobseekers. 3. Many indicated the advantages of hiring older workers, noting that they are more dependable, more emotionally mature, generally better producers, more conscientious, appreciative of the chance to work, safe workers, less involved in outside interests, and require less supervision. Responsibilities of the older worker In taking steps to promote greater opportunities for mature workers, one must not lose sight of the fact that the problem is one in which the older worker himself has a heavy responsibility. Opportunities in any labor market seldom match exactly the desires and skills of the job applicants. Therefore, in obtaining a job the applicant frequently must make adjustments to changes in kind of work, wages, working conditions, and job location. It may mean learning new things-and they can learn. Ultimately, the older person must work out most of the problem for himself. At times the older jobseeker puts obstacles in his own path. Sometimes, suffering from low morale, he is inclined to believe that he is not wanted in the labor market. Instead of accentuating his strong points and skill, he builds up the accent-on-youth idea and magnifies the handicap of age. As people advance in years, this attitude can become, in itself, their most serious handicap. Unless they guard against it, they can easily acquire a prejudice complex. Therefore, a determination to steer clear of this pitfall is most important to the older person looking for work. In our attempts to aid the older unemployed worker, we must be careful not to encourage the false idea that the individual no longer needs to look after himself. He has a major responsibility in fitting himself into the work force at the highest level that his qualifications permit. To this end both industry and the Government must avoid policies or practices that discriminate in favor of either the younger or older jobseeker. Population trends The U.S. Department of Labor in a release entitled "Our Manpower Future— 1955-65," after giving consideration to the various factors involved, estimates an increase of 10 million in our labor force in 10 years-more than half of whom will be women. Of this increase in the work force, about a million men and a million and a quarter women will be over 55 years of age. Interestingly, it goes on to say that there will be fewer men in the 25-to-44-year group in 1965 than there were in 1955. The low birthrate of the 1930's is, therefore, a factor in establishing greater employment opportunities for older people. All of this points to a shortage of workers in the next decade and presents even greater opportunities for older people able and willing to work. |