After completing this chapter, the student will be able to:

1. Describe how the percentage of Americans who work has changed over time, and explain how workers’ gender, age, and racial or ethnic group affect their employment rate.
2. Identify the employment prospects for older workers and explain how those workers are affected by age discrimination.
3. Describe how economic forces cause workers to withdraw from the labor force.
4. Explain how individuals decide when to retire.
5. Describe how personal factors are associated with an individual’s relative satisfaction in retirement.