For fine wines and cheeses, old age is a virtue. For the work force in southwestern Pennsylvania, it presents a problem.

A report released yesterday by the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board and the Carnegie Mellon Center for Economic Development examines the extent and the consequences of an aging local work force.

Using data from the U.S. Census, researchers compared the nine-county Pittsburgh region's work force to seven similar metropolitan areas: Baltimore; Denver; Kansas City, Mo.; Minneapolis; Portland, Ore.; San Diego and Seattle.

In the age categories, 45-54, 55-64 and 65, the Pittsburgh region had the highest percentages of workers. For the age categories 25-34 and 35-44, the Pittsburgh region had the lowest percentages of workers.

The report identified the local industries with the oldest populations as mining, utilities, petroleum and coal products manufacturing, air transportation, primary metals manufacturing and transit and ground transportation.

Researchers for the report, which was funded by the Heinz Endowments, also surveyed local employers about their level of concern about an aging work force. The survey found that at least 60 percent of companies had not studied the age of their work forces.

Of the companies that had conducted such studies, 65 percent determined that impending retirements would create serious or very serious shortfalls.

The report is the first in a series of six installments investigating an aging work force in southwestern Pennsylvania -- defined as Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland counties -- that already has a variety of firms scrambling to find ways to woo and keep younger workers.

Some coal companies, for example, have taken to flying banners over South Carolina beaches to tout the virtues of coal mining to young workers. And Duquesne Light's human resources staffers hold regular meetings to brainstorm on ways to make the workplace more conducive to younger workers, who, research shows, tend to choose companies capable of fitting their more casual, fun-going lifestyle.

Future installments in the report will focus on specific industries, and forums with local businesses, civic and political leaders are in the works, the workforce investment board and the CMU center said.