Senior Planet Public Forum: Older Adults and the Workforce

Is America on the verge of a new era of opportunity for older workers? With economists predicting a labor shortfall of up to 10 million workers in the coming years, business leaders are under increasing pressure to find new sources of talented and experienced employees. Meanwhile, recent research shows a new willingness for older workers to stay on the job past the traditional age of retirement. Whether for financial reasons or the simple desire to make a contribution, older workers are seeking to extend their connection to the workplace, and once retired, many find themselves returning to new jobs and even careers in new fields.

At OATS, we have found that a large portion of the older adults who attend our technology classes are eager to use their computer skills in the workplace. Our ten-week class, Office Applications for Older Adults has been in strong demand in communities as diverse as Bedford-Stuyvesant, Park Slope, and the South Bronx. Some graduates of our courses have landed well-paying jobs and credit their new computer skills as a critical part of success. A recent book by OATS Board Member Rob Salkowitz, Generation Blend, highlights our program and its value in helping seniors gain marketable technology skills.

For many people, later-life careers are a fulfilling opportunity to make a difference, a chance to apply hard-won experience to private and public sector challenges, and a channel to shape the world for the better as educators, activists, and leaders. As author and activist Marc Freedman points out in Encore, his book profiling Boomers who are thriving in careers launched in their later years: "they are earning needed income, paying taxes, using what they know, contributing to the greater good, and living lives that matter."

In fact, studies show that older workers are a major under-utilized resource in the economy. Older workers bring critical advantages that help firms gain a competitive advantage:

• Their experience translates into better judgment, superior industry awareness, and better retention of technical knowledge.
• They are more reliable and more loyal than younger workers, which means more consistent working hours and less turnover.
• They have strong communications and writing skills and a strong commitment to quality work outcomes.

Public policy makers must take account of this emerging trend, not only to help older adults live better more independent lives through employment, but also to promote a more competitive national economy. The unfortunate reality, however, is that very little support is currently available for older adults who want to work. Public programs focus on providing minimum-wage jobs for unemployed seniors, but do little to help retrain or place older individuals in better paying positions that offer a living wage and a chance to apply advanced skills that many seniors possess.

With rare exceptions, corporate employers have been slow to adapt to these demographic changes: over 85 percent of executives surveyed by AARP in 2006 say they are concerned about the business consequences of losing older workers, but just 16 percent have taken any formal steps to retain older employees. And discrimination plays a role as well; over 19,000 age-related complaints were received by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last year, representing more than 23 percent of all employment discrimination complaints. Too many employers, rather than setting up programs to retrain and support older employees, are pushing them out the door, even by illegal methods.

We hope Senior Planet will be a resource for hosting a useful dialogue around these important issues in the coming weeks. Here are some ways you can contribute your ideas:

• Tell us about your experiences as an older worker or job-seeker. How do you feel about your ability to contribute in today's workplace? Have you been treated with respect at work? Have you applied for jobs? What was the result? Are you getting the support you need to succeed?
• What do you think private employers should do to attract and retain older workers? Provide flexible schedules? Enhance health or retirement benefits? Offer retraining and skills upgrades? What's the best way to balance the needs of older employees against some of the higher costs associated with supporting them?
• Send us your public policy solutions. Government can and should be playing a larger role here, but what is the best way to help? Targeted training and placement services for seniors? Incentives for employers who hire older workers (for example, many have suggested providing Medicare benefits to employed seniors, which would allow employers to save money on medical insurance for older employees)? Increased enforcement of anti-discrimination codes?

There are several ways you can make your voice heard. Brief comments can be posted in the comments section at the bottom of this article. Longer entries (over 250 words or so) can be posted by creating your own blog on Senior Planet (click here to get started), or by emailing the Senior Planet editor here and we'll post it for you.

In addition, we are scheduling several roundtables on workforce issues for older adults at OATS training sites around the city. These will be publicized on the Senior Planet weekly events calendar, and we hope you will attend and participate in this important conversation. If you need help using Senior Planet or just want to talk to someone in person, call us at (718) 360 1707.