At a time when small business owners are taking a closer look at their business plans and searching for ways to be more efficient, perhaps it makes sense to consider what appears to be an under-tapped talent pool – the older worker.
Marilyn Sayles, director of senior workforce development at the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs, gets calls all the time from older people who want to work. And statistics suggest that it is a national phenomenon.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Elderly Affairs reports that by 2005 the American workforce will include 27 million people aged 50 to 59, compared with 20 million in that age bracket in 1997. Across the country, older workers account for nearly 10 percent of the nation’s workforce – and the number is growing. Older workers are getting new jobs at an annual rate of 4.1 percent, which is more than twice the rate of the general population.
John Leistritz, president of SeniorWork, Inc., an employment placement firm that specializes in workers over 50, said there remains a hidden – and often subtle – form of discrimination against older workers. With the possible exception of a job that requires heavy lifting, why would industries that embrace workers under 50 not approach those over 50 the same, he asks?
It’s a good question.
For companies looking for experienced workers – those with a proven work ethic and sense of reliability – this just might be an answer.
Giving thanks
Even in the aftermath of September 11 and under the clouds of an impending recession, it is important to recognize that we are privileged to live in a country that offers us so much.
It is true the horrific events of that fateful September morning have strengthened us as a nation. Perhaps all of us are better able to put some things in perspective. And, let us hope, we are treating one another with more respect – appreciating all that those around us do.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
