Every 7 seconds, an American baby boomer turns 61. Within a few years, half of the European Union population will be 65 or older.

The world's population is aging at a staggering rate, and this demographic shift will affect business in many ways, according to Joe Coughlin, head of the AgeLab at MIT and a speaker at the recent annual conference of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.

One of the most profound effects soon to be felt by American business, said Coughlin, is the aging of its workforce. Because baby boomers are getting older and fewer younger workers are available to fill their ranks, he said, the U.S. workforce is about to get smaller and grayer.

Drug store chain CVS is preparing to meet both of these challenges by installing materials handling equipment in its distribution centers, according to another conference speaker Kevin Smith, senior vice president of supply chain and logistics at CVS.

Fully automated equipment allows his DCs to run with fewer employees, said Smith, while equipment such as pick-to-light systems, voice-directed picking systems and ergonomic lifting devices make the remaining DC jobs easier for older workers.

In addition to making jobs physically easier to do, Smith said, CVS has also made DC jobs more attractive to older workers by introducing more flexible working schedules.

Smith is happy to accommodate older employees, he said, because they are valuable resources. Research shows, he said, that, contrary to popular belief, older workers don't sustain more injuries, don't take more sick days and aren't less productive than their younger counterparts.