AFTER IDENTIFYING FIRMS WHICH HAD USED JOB REDESIGN TO SALVAGE THE SKILL OF OLDER EMPLOYEES, RESEARCH INVESTIGATORS MADE 10 INTENSIVE CASE STUDIES IN FIRMS PRODUCING AIRCRAFT ENGINES, ALUMINUM FRAMING, BUILDING MATERIALS, CARPETS, COMPUTERS, COPPER PIPE FITTINGS, FOOTWEAR, HEAVY IRON PIPE, PRECISION INSTRUMENTS, AND PRINTED NOVELTIES. EACH STUDY DESCRIBES THE FIRM, THE JOBS PRIOR TO REDESIGN, THE RECOGNITION OF THE NEED TO REDESIGN, AND THE NATURE AND RESULTS OF THE REDESIGN. IT WAS FOUND THAT JOBS WERE CONSTANTLY BEING REDESIGNED TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, BUT ONLY OCCASIONALLY TO ADAPT THE JOB TO THE LIMITATIONS OF OLDER WORKERS. JOB REDESIGN FOR OLDER WORKERS WAS CARRIED OUT IN BOTH LARGE AND SMALL FIRMS, IN A WIDE VARIETY OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, AND IN A RANGE OF JOBS AFFECTING INDIVIDUALS WITH VARYING PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE TYPICAL REDESIGN CASE WAS INITIATED BY THE INFORMAL ACTIONS OF FOREMEN OR PLANT MANAGERS RATHER THAN BY FORMAL PROGRAMS. CHANGING THE CONTENT OF JOBS IN CONJUNCTION WITH EQUIPMENT IMPROVEMENT OR REALLOCATING DUTIES AMONG WORKERS TO ADAPT PARTICULAR JOBS TO THE CAPACITY OF OLDER WORKERS WERE SOME OF THE APPROACHES FOLLOWED. JOB REDESIGN USUALLY INVOLVED VERY LITTLE MONEY OUTLAY FOR NEW EQUIPMENT OR SCARCELY ANY LOSS IN OUTPUT DUE TO WORK INTERRUPTION, AND GENERALLY RESULTED IN IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY. IT HAD SOME ADVANTAGES FOR BOTH THE WORKERS AND MANAGEMENT OVER THE PRACTICE OF REASSIGNING OLDER WORKERS TO OTHER JOBS. MECHANIZATION INVOLVED IN JOB REDESIGN FOR SOME OLDER WORKERS RESULTED IN DISPLACEMENT OF WORKERS, AND REASSIGNMENT OR RETIREMENT IN SOME CASES. AN ACCOUNT OF A UNION-SPONSORED PROJECT FOR RETAINING ON-THE-JOB OLDER WORKERS WHO HAVE LIMITED FUNCTIONAL CAPACITIES, A CHECKLIST FOR STUDYING JOB REDESIGN, AND A SELECTED ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON OLDER WORKERS EMPLOYMENT AND JOB REDESIGN ARE INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIX. A REPORT OF FOUR SELECTED CASE STUDIES IS AVAILABLE AS VT 002 887. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE AS L2.3--1523 FOR 40 CENTS FROM GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, NORTH CAPITOL AND H STREETS, N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20401. (HC)