Jobs for mature workers entering the job market due to being laid off, change in a financial situation, the need to supplement their retirement income, a change in marital status, or other changes in life circumstances are, quite simply, hard to find during an economic downturn. The modern job market is tough, not just for people in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s; younger people are also affected by increased competition for jobs made scarce by a faltering economy. However, looking for employment as an older worker presents special challenges. Learn to brush up your resume and be sure to stay informed about your legal rights and the best job opportunities of today, as well as the available recruitment agencies, job assistance programs, and networking opportunities for seniors and older people.
Jobs for Mature Workers – Do They Exist in Today's Economy?
Older workers looking for jobs face a tough economy; in July 2009, there were about two million people who were unemployed and over the age of 55 in the U.S., a number never seen before in data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to Experience Works, a charitable organization dedicated to helping low-income men and women age 55 and older get local training for jobs.
In a recession, jobs are scarce for everyone, but mature workers are hit particularly hard as they approach retirement. In " Encouraging Work at Older Ages " (July 2010), economist Nicole Maestas states that "...many older Americans would apparently like to work but cannot find jobs. Even before the current recession, only about one-half of older job-searchers found jobs within two years; one-third of them wanted part-time jobs, but these jobs were the hardest to find."
Factors that make job seeking difficult for people in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s include increasing health costs, perceptions about the productivity of older workers, and increased competition for jobs.
More Mature People and Seniors Looking for Work Than Ever...and it's Just Getting Worse
Older workers and seniors seeking employment are finding they're competing not just with younger people for jobs, but with increasing numbers of applicants in their own age group, and this trend is likely to continue. By 2018, workers over the age of 54 will represent 23.9 percent of the labor force, predicts the Bureau of Labor Statistics – up from 18.1 percent in 2008. According to the Bureau's projected labor growth data for seniors, from 2006 to 2016:
- The total number of active workers between the ages of 55 and 64 will increase by 36.5 percent
- The seniors labor force in the 65-to-74 age group is expected to rise by 83.4 percent
- The anticipated growth in the number of working men and women over age 75 is a whopping 84.3 percent.
More of these senior workers are working full-time than ever before; as reported from the Current Population Survey data, 56 percent of mature workers held full-time rather than part-time positions in 2007.
Self-Employment for Mature People
With the dearth of jobs and wealth of job applicants, older people may want to consider self-employment as a possible option to replace or supplement wage-and-salary income. Maestas points out that the retirement age increase from 65 to 67 will be fully implemented in the year 2022, but even before then, mature men and women are staying in the labor force longer, and 25 percent of 65-year-old women and men work in self employment. The authors of "Self-Employment Transitions among Older American Workers with Career Jobs" explain that older workers near retirement age frequently become at least partially self-employed due to economic need and health issues.
Best Jobs for Older People in their 50s, 60s and 70s
The U.S. economy is experiencing an overall shift from producing goods to providing services. The Occupational Outlook 2010-2011 edition, making projections to 2018, states that the areas of the most anticipated job growth for the American labor force are:
- finance jobs, especially financial examiners and jobs in investment, accounting, and auditing
- health care jobs, especially registered nursing (RN) jobs, medical assistants, home health aides, dental hygienists, dental assistants, physical therapist aides, and physician assistants
- social services jobs
- management, scientific and technical services jobs, especially management analyst jobs, consulting services and computer systems design and related services
- educational services jobs, including teaching, training, and library work – especially self-enrichment teachers and postsecondary teachers
- employment services jobs
- administrative support jobs, especially receptionist and customer service work, general office clerks, executive secretaries and administrative assistants
- food service jobs
- sales jobs in the wholesale and retail industries
- transportation and warehousing jobs, including truck drivers
- commercial and transportation-related construction jobs, including carpenter jobs
- pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs
- social sciences jobs
- medical sciences jobs (except epidemiologists)
- veterinary jobs
- legal jobs, including lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants
- architecture and engineering jobs, especially civil engineering
- Information and computer-related jobs (except telecommunications), especially network systems analysts, data communications analysts, and computer software engineers
- jobs in assigning rights to nonfinancial intangible assets such as patents, trademarks, brand names, and franchise agreements (and not including copyright work)
- amusement, recreation and gambling jobs
- personal care services jobs, such as home care help, childcare services, skin care specialist jobs, and work in salons and spas
- building and grounds cleaning and maintenance work, especially landscaping and grounds-keeping jobs
- security and law enforcement jobs
- installation, maintenance and repair jobs
- state and local government services
"Worst" Jobs for Older People, According to Industry Growth and Decline
Mature men and women looking to change careers should keep in mind these jobs and industries that are expected to experience low growth or decline:
- farming, forestry, fishing, and hunting (except for agricultural labor workers and farm management services)
- mining, quarrying, and gas/oil extraction
- textile industries
- manufacturing and production (except pharmaceutical, food processing, and woodworking)
- telecommunications
- publishing jobs, including print, news, and desktop publishing work
- order clerks and file clerks
- postal service processing jobs
- semiconductor processor jobs
- photographic processing work
- wellhead pumping work
- extruding and forming machine and drilling and boring machine operators, setters and tenders
Assistance for Mature Workers Seeking Employment
Besides Experience Works, mentioned above, national resources for older workers include:
- AARP Job Hunting Help Page
- National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc.
- Senior Service America, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people over 55 re-enter the job market and a sponsor of the Senior Community Service Employment Program for low-income older workers.
- National Older Worker Career Center, offering employment help for older administrative and scientific professionals, with updated lists of job opportunities, both full and part-time.
Also see these local state programs for older people seeking employment:
- California Older Workers Programs
- Older Workers, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
- Boomer Careers, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- Arizona Mature Workers Programs
- Arkansas Mature Worker Initiative
- Older Adult Workers, Michigan Office of Services to the Aging
Employment Agencies for Mature Workers
The following websites are either employment agencies for older people or allow prospective applicants to search for job opportunities.
- Retired Brains has job postings for seniors and mature people. Current listings vary from job opportunities in retail sales to executive positions, from jobs as college professors to medical records jobs.
- The Retired Worker is an Ontario-based website where older workers can search for jobs for older people in Canada and the U.S.
- Wrinklies Direct is a fee-based employment agency based in London for mature workers, with job opportunities in the UK.
- SeniorJobBank.com is a fee-based online employment search tool that allows people over 50 to find job listings and apply in different U.S. states.
Additional Job-Hunting Tips for Older Workers
Mature workers should know their rights. For understanding the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and how they protect mature workers, see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission page on Age Discrimination.
Writing a resume when an applicant is 60, 70, or 80 years old is a little different from writing one as a recent college graduate. When brushing up a resume for older workers, write a separate resume for each job posting and select only the candidate's recent (last 20 years or so) and most relevant work experience.
In a difficult job market, be open to the idea of closing the door on one career and opening the door on another, or even hunting for a job that is what is colloquially called "a job, not a career."
For those re-entering the job market after a long hiatus, to be the most competitive in certain careers, consider focused training rather than another higher degree that could take years and numerous resources and still not make you a competitive candidate for a specific job. In other words, first target the job – for example, medical transcription – and then get vocational training for that specific work.
Women and Men Over 50 Can Find Work
Although in a recession or depression, jobs are not thick on the ground for workers of any age, there are jobs for seniors and mature workers who are persistent, know their rights, think creatively, and can adapt to different working environments. Certain professions, such as the customer service and educational fields, and industries, such as scientific, health care, and computers and technology, are growing very fast and present great employment opportunities for older people willing to get additional training if necessary.
Kerry Bakerson - Kerry's fiction has been published by Mundania Press. A former jewelry designer and bookseller, Kerry is now a full-time web content ...
