Don't Let Technology Run You Out of a Job You Like

A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research that crunched decades of data on 50,000 employers and approximately 11.6 million workers found that the faster a company installs new software, the faster it loses older workers, reports the Virginian-Pilot . "Companies will say, 'We'll train you,' but people who feel they are close to retiring often say, 'I don't want to bother,'" noted Harvard University Professor Richard Freeman. The analysis did not cover employer motivation beyond boosting productivity, and it is unlikely that most companies would bring in new software just to scare off older workers. Yet such employees often find adapting to new systems to be especially frustrating. Freeman advises against quitting, as older people who leave for new jobs typically end up earning less pay, while anything that prompts them to claim Social Security before age 70 should be reconsidered. Adding credibility to the argument that older workers should not quit is findings that people 55 and older with experience in a field can learn new systems as quickly as younger peers. Older workers should also disregard stereotypes about diminished productivity and refuse to be intimidated by tech trainers.