Well before the era of social security, most Americans could only dream of a life where retirement was possible. But by the early 1900s U.S. companies started mandating a retirement age. The practice of imposing a retirement age was outlawed by Congress in 1986. But some are suggesting that maybe it’s time to bring it back – all while many baby boomers are out of work and looking to get back into the labor force. Should we go back to mandatory retirement? Emily Yoffe, regular contributor to Slate Magazine helps us wind through the history of retirement in the United States. She wrote an article about the history of retirement in this week’s edition. Steven Sass, Program Director of the Financial Security Project at Boston College. Sass says that working longer is generally good for the economy and good for the worker.
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