Furthering Productive Aging through Public-Private Sector Alliances: The Case of the Mexican Government and Starbucks Company

This commentary focuses on the remunerated work dimension of productive aging in Mexico, specifically paid employment. The main purpose is to draw attention to productive aging policies and programs built on alliances between the Mexican government and private companies - e.g., Starbucks - and then to analyze the potential impacts of such alliances on the older population. We argue that although the Mexican government emphasizes the rights of older adults to engage in paid-employment programs through such alliances, it is not addressing the issues that underlie paid-employment activities in later life, such as conditions of inequality, lack of opportunities, and poverty. We also argue that the instrumentation of productive aging programs implemented by the government should consider the costs and benefits for older adults. Solid, research-based evidence is needed to better implement productive aging programs by accounting for the factors that influence older adults' decisions to continue working, the functional capacities of older workers, and their performance needs.