Will Imports and Robots Push Older Workers into Nontraditional Jobs?

The brief’s key findings are:

• U.S. workers have been facing growing competition from trade and automation.
• Do these factors push more workers into “nontraditional” jobs, defined as those without health and retirement benefits?
• This issue may be a particular concern for older workers, who increasingly need longer careers with continued access to benefits.
• The results show that imports are not associated with a greater share of such jobs but automation is, particularly for older workers.
• The key takeaway is that continuing growth in automation underscores the need for alternative sources of health and retirement coverage for older workers.