Pitney Bowes makes AARP's list of great employers for older workers.

By Julie Fishman-Lapin, The Stamford Advocate, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Mar. 1--Pitney Bowes is a great place for older people to work.

That's the word from the AARP, which yesterday named the Stamford-based mail meter giant one of 13 businesses in the country uniquely poised to deal with the opportunities and challenges that arise from an aging work force. The AARP Foundation, the affiliated charity of the country's biggest membership group focusing on older citizens, named Pitney Bowes a "featured employer," meaning it has committed to an aggressive program of recruiting, hiring, and retaining mature workers.

Pitney Bowes joins other major names in American business, including The Home Depot, Universal Health Services, Borders Group Inc., Adecco, Manpower Inc., MetLife Inc. and Walgreens, on the list.

These are all companies that have partnered with the AARP to prepare for the changing work force, said Emily Allen, assistant director of the AARP's Workforce Initiative.

The Workforce Initiative program was started by the AARP to connect baby boomers with job opportunities, and to help both small and large businesses understand the needs and interest of mature workers. As boomers begin to approach retirement age, the pool of replacement workers will not be large enough to meet employers' labor demands, Allen said. By 2010, almost one in three workers will be 50 or older.

"It's a challenging time to think about the work force and how to help people continue to grow," said Johnna Torsone, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Pitney Bowes.