I'm getting up there, too... ;-)

Perhaps "encourage" was the wrong word. The point I was trying to make is that people who must keep working because they won't have decent health insurance or a decent retirement income if they leave, those people should not be in that situation. They paid their taxes, they contributed to their workplace for years. They should be able to leave their jobs and have a few years of leisure before the problems of old age start appearing.

My smaller point was that when there isn't normal turnover in the economy, then younger people don't get hired in their field of expertise. People don't get promoted. Wages stagnate or fall. There can be severe consequences to lots and lots of people if senior employees can't retire.

My father retired at 58 and has enjoyed his retirement greatly. (Of course, he had his first job when he was about 8 - being a pin-setter in a bowling alley among other things.) I expect I'll be at least 67 - if I still have a job.....

Hang in there.

Cheers,
Scott.