1. Most industrialised countries will have to raise retirement ages, though all are reluctant. One consequence of not negotiating new retirement ages could be a return to the emigration of young people, this time due to taxation.

2. Where ageing populations are a significant portion of a population, such as in the US, their opinions are problematic for government, planners and marketers. These include a dislike for spending on education, a higher likelihood of complaining about service, a desire to move away from the suburbs into city-centre apartments, and a preference for goods and accommodation designed for older people.

3. Temporary employment agencies in Europe are now focusing on older workers by creating pools of those over 50 that companies can draw on for seasonal needs. Conversely some companies are giving the over 50s longer holidays, which also opens up temporary employment opportunities.

4. Researchers in Belgium have found that demotion is a constructive strategy for older workers. When demotion becomes a career choice it allows older workers to opt for a lesser paid job with less responsibilities. When structured into a career, "demotion" is not seen as stigmatising.

5. We currently face only two major transitions in our work lives. From school to work and from work to retirement. A work hiatus at age 50 is already evolving. UK gap-year organisers say up to a third of clients are over 50. Creative options for restructuring work and careers are currently scarce, though older people are now proving to be highly experimental and adaptable to change, say analysts such as Laurel Kennedy.