Longevity Project - Morning Consult Poll
Longevity Project Poll Reveals Skepticism on the Graying of America
by ken stern, chair, longevity project
The hesitancy of many Americans towards a nation in which people live longer and older Americans comprise a larger portion of the active population is the backdrop for the first Longevity Project – Morning Consult poll. The poll is part of a larger series of polls scheduled for 2019 and 2020 that will gauge the public sentiment towards a graying society and evaluate major opportunities to advance the cause of effective longevity in education, work, finances and health. The poll was a representative national sample of 2,197 adults and was conducted from November 5 – 8, 2019.
Major outcomes of the poll include:
Concern, especially among younger people, over the impact of a longer-lived society. In a variety of ways, people expressed some unease with an older society. Most directly, respondents gave a largely negative reaction to the question of whether it was good or bad to have a society with more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 18, as the US will become by 2034, according to the Census Bureau. While a bare majority were neutral on the question (51%), those with views on the subject tended towards the negative (net -7). And many people reacted unfavorably to the idea of raising the retirement age to accommodate the fast growing over 55 segment of the American labor force. Indeed, 35% of people age 18-29 believe that the retirement age of 65 should be lowered to “make room for younger people to advance professionally,” a view that is likely inconsistent with the reshaping of the labor pool to accommodate so many older workers.
The lack of acceptance with the graying of America was perhaps expressed indirectly in the answers to the question of when does “old age” start. This question was identical in material respect from one asked by the Pew Research Center in 2009.
Across all age groups, respondents in 2019 picked a lower threshold for old age than did the people who answered the 2009 poll. These answers are a bit surprising given the visibility of so many older Americans in public life these days (most of the leading candidates (as of this writing) for President are in their 70s for instance), and it perhaps reflects some current unease with the growing cohort of older people in the United States.
Employers are vital for continuing education. Fifty nine percent of respondents strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement that they expect their employers to provide educational opportunities to advance their careers, with the strongest support coming from younger respondents (71% support in the age 18-29 cohort). The strong identification of employers as a primary source of continuing education matches well with previous surveys, in which four-year colleges or community colleges were identified as only secondary sources of on-going education. All this suggests that the role of employer as educator will likely grow as people work longer and plan for multiple and more varied careers.
Heightened emphasis on lifelong financial security among younger Americans. The poll revealed a strong concern and pessimism about financial security among younger adults, perhaps not surprising given the fact that most of this group came of age during and around the Great Recession. Sixty five percent of respondents age 18-29 (the largest percentage among any of the age cohorts) identified financial security as being “very important” to a successful, long life, but only 19% of those age 18-29 believe that they will have the resources to be able to retire at or before age 65. The intersecting lines of greater longevity and greater uncertainty about retirement and pension plans no doubt weighs heavily on many younger Americans.
The full results of the Longevity Project – Morning Consult poll can be found here.