the employment of older workers was about as cyclical as overall employment in past recessions so it is a notable departure from historical patterns that employment has increased for this group this time this novel development may reflect at least in part labour supply responses in some countries to sometimes large losses in retirement savings consequent to the financial crisis coile and levine gustman et al employment losses were also aboveaverage for mediumskilled workers and men groups whose employment had previously been about as cyclical as overall employment