A new issue brief from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College finds that while older workers are well-situated to work from home and stay protected from COVID-19 less than half are in such jobs.
The brief’s authors note that public health officials have made it clear that older people are more at risk of complications from the virus, meaning they may be the last to return to work. Therefore, their ability to survive financially will depend on their ability to work from home.
“Perhaps surprisingly, older workers are as well situated as younger workers in terms of having ‘work from home’ jobs,” says the brief. “However, only about 45 percent of all older workers are in such jobs, and they tend to be those with higher earnings and more education.”
The authors conclude that since about 55 percent of older workers cannot work remotely many may face re-entering what they view as unsafe work environments.