The prospective place of the aging worker in the employment environment of the 21st century is examined. The following are among the specific topics discussed: (1) the real world of work and retirement; (2) the changing employment environment; (3) the restructuring of business in the United States; (4) globalization and the economy; (5) downsizing and its consequences; (6) the decline of corporate paternalism; (7) restructuring of the workforce; (8) downwaging of the workforce; (9) the question of minimum wage; (10) trends in corporate responsibility; (11) national employment policies; and (12) national economic policies. Key points emerging from the book are as follows: (1) the quintessential problem to be addressed is that of the declining opportunities for well-compensated employment, which in turn leads to fewer customers to purchase the goods and services produced by businesses; (2) acknowledging that society is facing a serious problem is the first step toward solving it; and (3) the United States needs a new mindset to compete and must therefore rethink education and training practices, determine how to get a long-term vision from corporate managers, respond to changing relationships between labor and management, reexamine the relationship between government and business, and find new ways of doing business in a global economy. There are 178 references. (MN)