Socioeconomic Barriers to Working Longer: Less-educated older workers have experienced fewer gains in health and life expectancy and face more discrimination from employers.

Many older people need to work longer for a secure retirement. While the average retirement age is increasing, these gains have gone disproportionately to the college-educated for two reasons. First, workers with less education have seen fewer gains in health and life expectancy, and have been less affected by changes in jobs and retirement plans. Second, employers might avoid these workers because they tend to be minorities and to have high healthcare costs. Overall, the outlook is bleak for these workers, but expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit could help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]