One way to avoid AI altogether? Retire early

About this episode

The episode discusses the decline of older workers in the labor force and how some are choosing retirement over adapting to AI.

The share of older workers is on the decline — about 37% of people age 55 and above are now active in the labor force. About a decade ago, it was around 40%. The pandemic chased some older workers out, and others can simply afford to retire. Another factor that's causing some to exit? The emergence of artificial intelligence. Learning how to interact with it as a tool, maybe even as a colleague, seems like a headache to some. So, they’re choosing retirement instead. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Wall Street Journal reporter Lauren Weber, who’s been covering the phenomenon.

People in this episode

Host: Stephanie Hughes

Guest: Lauren Weber

Topics covered

• AI
• retirement
• older workers
• labor force
• technology
• workplace dynamics

Keywords

• AI
• retirement
• older workers
• labor force
• technology
• workplace
• pandemic

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wall Street Journal

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