NIH Named to AARP’s List of Best Employers for Workers Over 50

The National Institutes of Health has been named to AARP’s list of Best Employers for Workers Over 50. NIH is the first federal agency to make the AARP list, placing eleventh in the 2008 rankings.

This annual award program evaluates and recognizes organizations that have workforce practices and policies beneficial to workers over 50. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2016, one in three workers will be 50 or older; up from 28 percent of the workforce in 2007.

NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni said, "NIH is honored to be among the organizations recognized for forward-looking approaches to maintaining a skilled staff as the number of younger workers entering the labor market declines, and as more workers nearing retirement age elect to stay on the job. NIH set out to adjust creatively to the new demographics, and this award shows how effective those efforts have been."

NIH was recognized for its recruitment program, which uses a broad array of methods, including newspapers, the Internet, job fairs, scientific publications and referrals to reach qualified potential applicants. Varied training programs, health benefits, pension plans and flexible work arrangements also contributed to NIH’s selection as a top-performing employer for the over-50 age group. The recognition program is featured in the AARP magazine, which reaches millions of American homes this week.

The Office of the Director, the central office at NIH, is responsible for setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and Centers. This involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all NIH components. The Office of the Director also includes program offices which are responsible for stimulating specific areas of research throughout NIH. Additional information is available at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/.