Nevada’s Aging Population

Posted on September 26, 2007
Filed Under Older Worker |

Two items for discussion here:

A new report from the Sanford Center for Aging (UNR) - Elders Count Nevada: Key Health Indicators for Nevada’s Elders
Nevada Age Discrimination Case

Elders Count Nevada: Key Health Indicators for Nevada’s Elders

Elders Count was funded by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and produced in partnership with the Sanford Center for Aging at the University of Nevada, Reno, the Nevada State Health Division and the Nevada Division for Aging Services.

The report does not shed a very positive light on Nevada for its’ ageing population. To highlight one finding: From 2000 to 2004, Nevada’s population of 65+ increased almost 20 percent, five times the national rate of 3.8 percent. Obviously this is due to the early stages of the baby boomer population reaching retirement age. The fact that Nevada has become a hotbed for retirees surely does not help this statistic.

Salesman fired at age 53 awarded $3.8 million for age discrimination

Because Nevada is such a young state, there is not a lot of state case law to set precedent. So when a case such as this is heard and ruled on, it is a big deal. I imagine employers will be a little more mindful about age now. A willful violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act automatically doubles an award. In this case Larry Dillon the plaintiff, was awarded nearly $1.9 million in back pay before the award was doubled.