[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 39 (Monday, October 2, 2000)]
[Pages 2174-2175]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7345--National Older Workers Employment Week, 2000

September 22, 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.

[[Page 2175]]

    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, 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 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fifth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., September 26, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
September 27. This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue.