The goal of the joint Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board -- Center for Economic Development study is to raise awareness and understanding of the "aging issue" from a work-force development standpoint and provide resources to employers and other key decision-makers to help deal with it appropriately. We address five main questions through this study.

1. IS SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA'S WORK FORCE REALLY THAT OLD?

A comparison of age structures revealed that the region has an older work force than seven peer regions. In fact, if the region had the age structure of its average peer, it would have 50,000 more younger workers and 50,000 fewer older workers.

2. IS IT GETTING OLDER?

Yes, the region's work force, along with the nation's work force, is slowly getting older.

3. WHICH INDUSTRIES HAVE THE OLDEST WORK FORCES?

Based on percentage of older workers, some of the oldest industries in the region include: mining; petroleum and coal products; utilities; primary metals manufacturing; transit and ground passenger transportation; and air transportation.

4. DO INDUSTRIES WITH THE OLDEST WORK FORCES HAVE A PROBLEM?

Yes and no. Survey results were mixed, with 30 percent to 40 percent of respondents indicating problems with replacing an older work force. While individual firms in any given industry can and do face problems due to retiring work forces, either across the board or limited to certain occupations, the problem may not be industrywide. Based on the data collected about industries examined in this study, the mining and utilities industries are experiencing some problems with replacing older work forces. On the other hand, our data analysis suggests that the transit and ground passenger transportation industry, although an industry characterized by an older work force, does not have an overarching problem. The picture for other industries was either mixed (primary metals), or inconclusive due to insufficient information (air transportation, petroleum and coal products).

5. ARE THESE INDUSTRIES ADDRESSING THE ISSUE?

Overall, survey results were mixed. Some organizations indicated that they have implemented various programs to deal with retiring workers; others indicated little or no action. Several organizations, for example, in the mining and utilities industries have implemented programs that deal with replacing retiring workers.