Older workers in America seem to have relatively low levels of job-related stress, according to a new study.
According to HealthDay News, researchers at the University of Michigan examined 1,544 people, ages 53 to 85 who worked at least 20 hours per week during 2006.  Of the participants, just over half were male, 87 percent were white, about 8 percent were black, and 7 percent were Hispanic. Overall, they had an average of 14 years of education.
They found that in general, older workers did not report high levels of work related stress, and that only 15 percent of them said their work often or almost all the time interfered with their personal lives.

The study attributed this to many of the workers being “empty nesters,” not having the same work-personal conflicts that younger and middle-aged workers deal with, including juggling responsibilities to children along with their jobs and personal needs.

According to the study, only two percent of the workers said their personal lives interfered with their jobs, with slightly more than 50 percent agreeing that they have competing demands being made on them at work. Forty seven percent said that time pressures are a source of job stress.

Only 19 percent of the workers said they have poor job security. Researchers said this was a very low number considering the extent of age discrimination at work and the current economic climate regarding unemployment.

The researchers also found that workers who experience less job stress are more satisfied with their life and have better overall physical health than those with higher levels of work stress.