PEW RESEARCH CENTER FOR SOCIAL& DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS July 2009 Work/Generation Gap Survey (July 20- August 2, 2009)

This survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends project during the depths of the Great Recession (July 20 - August 2, 2009), investigates a critical moment in the American workplace. It specifically examines the tensions and differing perceptions between older employees (ages 65+) who were choosing to remain in or re-enter the workforce and younger workers who were struggling to launch their careers amid historic economic hardship. The data captures anxieties over employment, retirement, age discrimination, and the profound "generation gap" in attitudes toward work, economic opportunity, and the shifting social contract between employers and employees during a period of severe economic crisis.