Presidential Documents

57937

Federal Register

Vol. 65, No. 188

Wednesday, September 27, 2000

Title 3—

The President

Proclamation 7345 of September 22, 2000

National Older Workers Employment Week, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

As a Nation, we are growing older, and so is our workforce. Today, there

are 49 million workers in America aged 45 years or older—approximately

35 percent of America’s labor force—and by 2008, that number will grow

to 62 million, or about 40 percent of the workforce. One in four Americans

between the ages of 65 and 69 has at least a part-time job, and 80 percent

of the ‘‘baby boom’’ generation intends to keep working past the age of

65. Increasingly, older Americans want to work, and for most, the opportunity

to work adds not only to the length but also to the quality of their lives.

The abilities, experience, and strong work ethic of these older Americans

are a precious resource for our Nation in today’s strong economy. With

the unemployment rate at its lowest level in more than a generation, businesses urgently need to hire more workers if they are to keep pace with

the demand for their products and services. Too often overlooked or underutilized, older workers offer employers a broad and diverse pool of talent.

Recognizing the importance of older workers to our Nation and our economy,

the Congress unanimously passed, and I was proud to sign into law, the

Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act of 2000. This legislation eliminates

the Social Security retirement earnings test, a provision that withheld benefits

from Americans working beyond the age of 65. It allows older Americans

to enjoy the extra income and personal fulfillment that work offers without

being penalized, and it ensures that companies facing labor shortages will

have a greater supply of experienced workers. The Act will also help our

economy grow without inflation and encourage Americans to work longer,

thus contributing more to the tax base and to the Social Security trust

fund at precisely the time when the percentage of younger workers paying

into the system will be decreasing.

Older Americans have contributed much to the life of our Nation and

to the extraordinary growth and prosperity we enjoy today. We owe them

our respect and gratitude; we also owe them the opportunity to continue

working as long as they desire. Through laws such as the Older Americans

Act, which I have called on the Congress to reauthorize and strengthen,

the Age Discrimination Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act,

and now the Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act, the United States

Government guarantees that opportunity. And, through the Senior Community Service Employment Program at the Department of Labor and the Administration on Aging at the Department of Health and Human Services, older

workers have access to the programs and services they need to continue

making their own vital contributions to the American workplace.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution

and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 24 through

September 30, 2000, as National Older Workers Employment Week. I urge

employers across the Nation to recognize the energy and ability of older

Americans and to develop new strategies for recruiting and utilizing older

workers. I also encourage public officials responsible for job placement,

57938 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 27, 2000 / Presidential Documents

training, and related services to intensify their efforts throughout the year

to assist older workers in finding suitable jobs and training.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second

day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independ-

[FR Doc. 00–24943

Filed 9–26–00; 8:45 am]

Billing code 3195–01–P

ence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

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