Life Expectancy In The United States

Current new articles have stated that the average life expectancy can easily become 100 years. The Life expectancy rate has seemed to increase around three months every year. “Centenarians may become the norm.” Scientists and doctors at Buck Institute in Marin County, California, have spent countless hours studying ways to expand the life of an organism. They already have been able to quintuple the life span of worms. With devoted research and tests, the Institute may be able to expand to human beings (Easterbrook). The question is, how will a longer life affect our economy? Social security would raise, forcing we the people to work harder and longer to make money to support our families. The three options that can give the working class a

little break are: Adjusting the retirement age, having an older aged workforce, and/or saving personal money in a bank account for your own retirement.
First, the retirement age can be adjusted.

Currently the average retirement age in the United States is 61 years old. Some have said that the retirement has climbed because “a lot of people are working longer because they want to work longer”, meaning they enjoy what they do (Langfield). I believe that this is a good option because the retired wouldn’t have a problem with it. The last thing we need is a fight between people working hard and people who have already worked hard. It might also be better for them physically. For retirees, they usually spend their day relaxing, sleeping, watching TV, eating and drinking, and shopping. Retirees spend around 4.73 hours in front of this “box”. In previous studies, it shows that people aged 75 or older, watch the largest amount of TV out of all the age groups (Brandon). By watching TV people, especially elders, increase the risk of type two diabetes by 20%, their chance for heart disease by 15%, and for every extra three hours watching TV on average, their chance of dying an average of 13% (Gardner). So elderly people working as long as they can would be the best idea to live longer, and earn money instead of depending on a government

program.
The second possibility would be having an older aged workforce.

This option would be a good choice, however it has much more disadvantages then the other two. The advantages include extending the available workforce, they are dependable, usually have a better attendance because, as I said they have nothing else to do. Elders have more knowledge, because they have already experienced what younger workers haven’t. The disadvantages comprise of productivity and safety issues. For example, if a man 63 years old were to be working for a construction site. He could easily create a safe, and intricate sketch of the building they are currently working on. However, the man wouldn’t be able to lift materials, or use tools that a 30 year old man could, because physical limitations. Also a senior citizen probably wouldn’t be able to stay within an organization for very long, until there literally aren’t capable of working or doing anything for that matter ("What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Hiring Older Workers? SHRM Poll."). The major downfall to this decision would be how seniors can get a job. The only obstacle in their way is the younger workforce. In 2011 the average unemployment period for elders was 35 weeks compared to the 26 weeks for the younger employees. Likewise, the older class would be “out of date” in the current business skills that newer employees have been taught right out of high school

(Brandon).
The final option for we the people would be creating our own individual retirement fund saved in a bank account. Over the past 32 years, life expectancy has grown 15 years, meanwhile social security has increased 6.650% and is expected to increase. However, if social security remained constant eventually the government funds would run out, and for the unlucky generation who retires right as the economic failure happens. They will be forced to “work in their own casket”. However, for those who save money for retirement, such as my dad. He is currently saving for his retirement so if the funds run out he will have a source of money to live without working.