In the United States, like many countries, middle-aged and older workers are increasingly a larger proportion of the workforce. The needs of these workers is different than those you are younger and can run the gamut from educational to health needs. That's the focus of this episode of Stats+Stories with guests Takashi‌ ‌Yamashita‌ and Phyllis A. Cummins Takashi‌ ‌Yamashita‌ ‌‌is‌ ‌an‌ ‌associate‌ ‌professor‌ ‌of‌ ‌sociology,‌ ‌and‌ ‌a‌ ‌faculty‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Gerontology‌ ‌Ph.D.‌ ‌program‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌Center‌ ‌for‌ ‌Aging‌ ‌Studies‌ ‌at‌ ‌University‌ ‌of‌ ‌Maryland,‌ ‌Baltimore‌ ‌County (UMBC).‌ ‌He‌ ‌also‌ ‌has‌ ‌a‌ ‌secondary‌ ‌appointment‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Department‌ ‌of‌ ‌Epidemiology‌ ‌and‌ ‌Public‌ ‌Health‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌School‌ ‌of‌ ‌Medicine,‌ ‌and‌ ‌serves‌ ‌as‌ ‌an‌ ‌affiliate‌ ‌member‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Center‌ ‌for‌ ‌Research‌ ‌on‌ ‌Aging‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌University‌ ‌of‌ ‌Maryland,‌ ‌Baltimore‌ ‌(UMB).‌ ‌His‌ ‌areas‌ ‌of‌ ‌research‌ ‌are‌ ‌social‌ ‌determinants‌ ‌of‌ ‌health‌ ‌and‌ ‌well-being‌ ‌over‌ ‌the‌ ‌life‌ ‌course,‌ ‌health‌ ‌literacy,‌ ‌wider‌ ‌benefits‌ ‌of‌ ‌lifelong‌ ‌learning,‌ ‌gerontology‌ ‌education‌ ‌and‌ ‌social‌ ‌statistics‌ ‌education.‌ ‌ Phyllis A. Cummins is a Senior Research Scholar Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology & Gerontology at the Scripps Gerontology Center here at Miami University. Her research interests include work and retirement transitions, education and training for older workers, publicly sponsored employment and training programs, the role community colleges play in education and training for older adult