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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Jan 19.
Published in final edited form as: Hum Factors Ergon Manuf. 2009;19(5):457–477. doi: 10.1002/hfm.20138

TABLE 5.

Numbers and Percentages of Responses Favoring Older Workers, Favoring Younger Workers, or That Were Neutral with Regard to Each of the 13 Worker-Related Attributes

Worker-Related Attribute N Older Workers Are:
Less/Worse
About the Same
More/Better
n Percentage [95% CI] n Percentage [95% CI] n Percentage [95% CI]
Trustworthiness 305 1 0.3
[0.0–1.5]
199 65.2
[59.8–70.4]
105 34.4
[29.3–39.9]
Reliability 303 11 3.6
[1.9–6.2]
155 51.2
[45.5–56.8]
137 45.2
[39.7–50.8]
Ability to work independently 306 22 7.2
[4.7–10.5]
171 55.9
[50.3–61.4]
113 36.9
[31.7–42.4]
Time-management ability 305 25 8.2
[5.5–11.7]
172 56.4
[50.8–61.9]
108 35.4
[30.2–40.9]
Maturity 306 4 1.3
[0.4–3.1]
60 19.6
[15.5–24.3]
242 79.1
[74.3–83.4]
Experience in the work activity 305 2 0.7
[0.1–2.1]
65 21.3
[17.0–26.2]
238 78.0
[73.1–82.4]
Technology skills 306 218 71.2
[66.0–76.1]
79 25.8
[21.2–30.9]
9 2.9
[1.5–5.3]
Ability to make adjustments to work 305 141 46.2
[40.7–51.8]
130 42.6
[37.2–48.2]
34 11.1
[8.0–15.0]
Verbal communication ability 305 24 7.9
[5.2–11.3]
193 63.3
[57.8–68.5]
88 28.9
[24.0–34.1]
Writing ability 305 22 7.2
[4.7–10.5]
168 55.1
[49.5–60.6]
115 37.7
[32.4–43.2]
Ability to work on teams 305 64 21.0
[16.7–25.8]
206 67.5
[62.1–72.6]
35 11.5
[8.3–15.4]
Tenure (time on the job) 305 1 0.3
[0.0–1.5]
43 14.1
[10.5–18.3]
261 85.6
[81.3–89.2]
Health status 304 187 61.5
[56.0–66.9]
112 36.8
[31.6–42.4]
5 1.6
[0.6–3.6]

Note. CI: confidence interval.