I spend a good portion of my time everyday keeping up with new trends for older workers. One thing I’ve certainly noticed is that the job market has had its ups and down over the last twelve months. Despite these turbulent times, several recent articles in the New York Times and conversations with our favorite jobs expert, Kerry Hannon, have revealed a more optimistic outlook for older job seekers.
A recent New York Times article cited a new research report by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College , which zeroed in on jobs where hiring is abundant for 50+ workers. The research found that a large number of these jobs, but not all, require lower skilled workers.
Kerry Hannon acknowledges the realities of ageism in the workforce but sees a brighter outlook by looking at other numbers and research reports. A new Brookings Institute Survey found that the largest growth in the labor force over the last seven years was amongst the population between the ages of 62-64. The U.S. Department of Labor also reported that the unemployment rate for older workers was lower than younger generations.
In a recent gathering of large national recruiters discussing the forces that are shaping our labor market, several new messages were emphasized:
- Recruiters need to adapt and offer more part time and flexible jobs.
- Employers need to find and engage older experienced workers and figure out ways to transfer knowledge to newer and younger leaders.
- Job seekers need to adapt to the changing work landscape and be open to use their skills in other industries.
All of this is more great news for the 50+ job seekers!
After talking to hundreds of older job seekers, Kerry Hannon finds that although money is important, there are many other factors that are equally important, such as flexibility, sense of autonomy, benefits, and working for a company or nonprofit whose mission they believe in.
Kerry offers four great tips for job seekers
:
- Weigh potential pay vs work life balance.
- Be honest about how many hours you really want to work.
- Don’t forget consulting and part time contract work as 42% of U.S. executives surveyed expect to use contract workers in the next two years.
- Market your vast experience. Nothing is more important than real life experiences.
The outlook can be bright when we stay open and look beyond the traditional work paradigm. Another recent article highlighted a multitude of part time and gigs such as freelance and consulting, many of which are available and highly suited to older workers.
Encore Tampa Bay is here to help you!
We are committed to building an even stronger network of organizations and individuals who can help you locate and upgrade your skills to find the right pathway to your encore! Every day we are finding more and more local companies that are specifically looking to hire older, experienced workers.
Here is how Encore Tampa Bay can help you:
- On our website under the “Resources” tab see the organizations and individuals ready to help
- On our website – go to “Upcoming Events” to see what events are coming up that will help you discover or retool for your next adventure.
- Connect to nonprofits in our community that are currently looking for volunteers, board members, and paid employees by attending the Encore Pathways Showcase on October 26th .
Other Pathways events in 2017 will connect you to valuable entrepreneur resources and an Encore Job Showcase.
Let me know if you are aware of other organizations and individuals who are committed to helping adults locate alternative jobs or pathways to purpose and income. I welcome other organizations who want to join our Encore Tampa Bay Network!