Labour Day 2025: From the Industrial Age to the Longevity Era

Almost a century ago, men balanced on narrow steel beams high above Manhattan, eating lunch as they built the skyline of a new world. That iconic photograph — “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” — captured a pivotal moment when our systems began to catch up with the pace of change.

We built for that era:

• Public education for a young, rapidly growing workforce

• Pensions to provide security in shorter, more predictable retirements

• Labour laws to protect workers in dangerous conditions

Those systems didn’t happen by accident. They were the result of leaders recognizing that the world had changed - and responding with urgency and foresight.

A Different Kind of Revolution

This Labour Day, we’re not just reflecting on workers’ contributions. We’re witnessing another industrial revolution — this one fueled by AI, automation, and biotechnology.

The context is radically different:

• In 1920, life expectancy in Canada was about 60 years.

• Today, it’s 81–82.

• Half of today’s kids are expected to live past 100.

That means five generations are now working, learning, and contributing side by side. Careers that once lasted 30 years now stretch across 50 or more.

And yet… our systems remain stuck in a linear, one-and-done model.

Longevity is no longer just a demographic footnote. It’s a disruptor at the boardroom level and a rare, once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Signals Leaders Can’t Ignore

• By 2031, workers 55 and older will make up over a quarter of the workforce across the G7.

• By 2030, people 65+ will spend nearly $15 trillion annually worldwide.

• In the U.S., adults 55+ already control about 70% of household wealth.

Markets, talent pools, and customer expectations are aging and becoming more diverse - rapidly. The real question is no longer if we will adapt, but how fast we can do it.

Lessons From the Past

History reminds us that systems must evolve with society.

When industrialization reshaped the world, leaders acted:

• They built public schools to skill a generation.

• They designed pension systems to create financial security.

• They established labour protections to safeguard lives.

We face the same imperative now. Longer lives mean longer arcs of learning, contribution, and reinvention.

Where Leaders Must Act Now

For Boards:

• Put longevity on the risk and growth agenda.

• Make workforce demographics a standing boardroom topic.

• Monitor longevity-readiness metrics with the same rigour as financials and ESG.

For CEOs and Senior Executives:

• Create flexible career pathways that enable reinvention and ongoing contribution in midlife.

• Invest in lifelong learning and upskilling to match the pace of change.

• Align products, services, and customer experience with an age-diverse economy.

For HR and Talent Leaders:

• Audit your pipelines for age bias and hidden barriers.

• Build intergenerational mentorship programs that facilitate mutual learning.

• Design policies for multi-stage, 50-year careers.

A Simple Lens for Action

In my advisory work, I use a simple framework to help leaders cut through the noise:

Reframe → Rethink → Reimagine

• Reframe longevity as a growth enabler, not a cost centre.

• Rethink outdated assumptions about age, careers, and retirement.

• Reimagine the systems, products, and experiences we’ll need in a 100-year world.

Closing Call to Action

This Labour Day, as we honour the workers who built the systems of the past, let’s also look ahead and ask the hard questions:

• Are we future-proofing our talent and customer strategies for a 100-year life?

• Where are we underinvesting in systems that match today’s realities?

• What bold step can we take this year to lead - not follow - in the longevity economy?

This is the conversation I’ll be having with boards and leadership teams this fall. I’d love to hear how you’re thinking about longevity and work in your organization. Let’s share ideas - because the systems we design today will shape the world we build tomorrow.

#Longevity #FutureOfWork #Labour Day #LongevityEconomy #Leadership

Stanford Center on Longevity Annie Coleman Marc Freedman Marci Alboher Eunice Lin Nichols Zabeen Hirji David Pagano Martha Deevy Chris Hewitt, MBA