Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 105 Part 1.djvu/74

 105 STAT. 46 PUBLIC LAW 102-15—MAR. 21, 1991 Public Law 102-15 102d Congress Joint Resolution Mar. 21, 1991 Authorizing and requesting the President to designate the second full week in March [H.J. Res. 133] 1991 as "National Employ the Older Worker Week". Whereas individuals aged 55 and over are a major national resource, constitute 22 percent of the population of the United States at the present time, and are likely to constitute a larger percentage of the population in future decades; Whereas a growing number of such individuals, being willing and able to work, are looking for employment opportunities, want to remain in the workforce, or would like to serve their communities and their Nation in voluntary roles; Whereas such individuals, who have made continuing contributions to the national welfare, should be encouraged to remain in, or resume, career and voluntary roles that utilize their strengths, wisdom, and skills; Whereas career opportunities reaffirm the dignity, self-worth, and independence of older individuals by encouraging them to make decisions and to act upon those decisions, by tapping their resources, experience, and knowledge, and by enabling them to contribute to society; Whereas the operation of title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 has demonstrated that older workers are extremely capable in a wide variety of job roles; Whereas recent studies conducted by the Department of Labor and the Work in America Institute indicate that, in many cases, employers prefer to retain older workers or rehire former older employees due to the high quality of their job performance and their low rate of absenteeism; and Whereas the American Legion has sponsored a "National Employ the Older Worker Week" during the second full week of March in every year since 1959, focusing public attention on the advantages of employing older individuals: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That the President is authorized and requested to designate the second full week in March 1991 as "National Employ the Older Worker Week", and to issue a proclamation calling upon— (1) the employers and labor unions of the United States to give special consideration to older workers, with a view toward expanding career and employment opportunities for older workers who are willing and able to work and who desire to remain employed or to reenter the workforce; (2) voluntary organizations to reexamine the many fine service programs which they sponsor with a view toward expanding both the number of older volunteers and the types of service roles open to older workers; (3) the Department of Labor to give special assistance to older workers by means of job training programs under the Jobs

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