Senior Citizen Employment

Employment Outlook for Senior Workers

Company Perspective

Employers are scrambling to figure out how to fill in the gaps left behind from Baby Boomer retirement. Companies that want to compete in the workforce of the future know they must figure out a way to fill open positions with workers from nontraditional labor pools.

Senior citizens play an important role in strategic workforce planning for a growing number of businesses. There are many reasons that mature workers appeal to employers, including wealth of experience, skills, and work ethic. It is not unusual for employers to actively recruit older workers to work for their organizations. Because of this, the outlook for senior citizen employment is excellent.

Worker Perspective

Many people are choosing to stay in the workforce long past the traditional retirement age. There are several reasons for this trend. One of the most important factors people are choosing to work longer is that improvements in preventive healthcare and medical treatment options have led to a healthier workforce. Consequently, seniors who are vital and healthy opt to continue working, whether because they want to or out of financial need.

Financial necessity is an additional reason mature workers continue working beyond traditional retirement age. There have been major changes to the Social Security system, increasing the age at which individuals qualify for full benefits. At the same time, defined benefit retirement programs have become much less common, leading to a large number of workers who don't have access to full, guaranteed retirement benefits soon after becoming eligible to retire.

Opportunities for Senior Citizen Employment

While some mature workers want to continue working in the same types of jobs they have held throughout their careers, others want to change to part time positions or those that have greater flexibility and less stress. Many companies are focusing on developing positions with duties and work schedules that might appeal to mature workers who'd like to remain in the job market beyond the traditional retirement age.

Recognized Best Employers

AARP sponsors an annual program designed to recognize the best employers for workers over 50. Individuals seeking employment with companies which actively recruit mature workers may benefit from using the list of current and past honorees as a starting point for developing a list of prospective employers.

Targeted Online Job Searches

• Seniors4Hire.org – This website functions as a virtual nationwide career center for mature workers. Use of the site is limited to members, but membership is free for people over 50 looking for jobs. When you join the site, you'll be able to publish your resume online where employers recruiting mature workers will have an opportunity to find you. You'll also be able to search the extensive job database for positions that interest you, as well as sign up to receive notifications as soon as job opportunities that match criteria you define are listed.

• RetirementJobs.com – This job board is designed specifically to meet the employment needs of mature workers. When you visit the site, you'll have an opportunity to visit job advertisements posted by employers in a wide variety of fields. The site also has information about franchise opportunities that may appeal to those with entrepreneurial senior citizen employment interests.