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  3. Markway, now 55, is experiencing a new kind of American career stage: the not-quite-retirement. As life spans lengthen, pensions

Markway, now 55, is experiencing a new kind of American career stage: the not-quite-retirement. As life spans lengthen, pensions

admin2013-07-02  49
问题     Markway, now 55, is experiencing a new kind of American career stage: the not-quite-retirement. As life spans lengthen, pensions tighten and workplace rules change, hopping from full-time work to full-time leisure is appearing less realistic and, to some, less desirable. The trend has given rise to a new category of employment, the so-called bridge job. Economists use this term to describe part-time or full-time jobs typically held for less than 10 years following full-time careers. According to a 2005 working paper from the Center on Aging and Work at Boston College, one-half to two-thirds of workers take on bridge jobs before fully retiring — one reason the number of workers 65 and up is expected to increase 117% by 2025.

    The prolonged-work ethic comes at a time when American companies face a demographics-driven crisis: What happens when the 76 million baby boomers retire? As older workers begin to leave work in droves, economists project a labor shortage of 10 million by the end of the decade. Some industries, such as utilities, education and energy, are already struggling to stop up the institutional brain drain. So, older workers want to keep working, and employers need them — crisis solved. Right? Not quite, says Deborah Russell, director of workforce issues at the AARP(American Association of Retired Persons). Revising retirement systems requires shifts in attitudes and bureaucratic pension rules.
    Some major employers are ahead of the game, offering options like bridge jobs to attract and keep older workers. The advantages are many: surveys find older workers score high in company loyalty and productivity, and the bridge period can be used to transfer a veteran employee’s knowledge and skills to the next generation. Quest Diagnostics, Cendant Group, New York Life and Verizon were among 11 corporations that recently teamed with the AARP to figure out how to hire and retain over-50 workers.
    But while older workers are often eager to cross such a bridge, many companies haven’t built it yet. Old pension rules continue to push older workers out the door by penalizing or just not rewarding service beyond a given date. Some younger workers assume seniors can’t keep pace with fast-changing technology and business pressures. Many also believe older workers strain payroll and benefit packages, although a recent AARP/Towers Perrin study showed that keeping older workers costs employers just 1 % to 3% more than the cost of replacing them. Half of employers make no attempt at all to retain older workers — even those who are key to the business, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.
What is the purpose of some big companies by offering options like bridge jobs?
选项
答案To attract and keep older workers
解析 根据线索词offering option定位在第三段，文中说一些大公司提供了诸如过渡职位这样的选择，是为了吸引并挽留一些年龄较大的员工，由此可得出答案。
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