In this Next Chapter Forum, Renee Shaw and a panel of experts discuss why some older Kentuckians are staying in the workforce longer or choosing to return to work after they retire. They also highlight resources that can help seniors find and train for employment.
Here are three takeaways from the program.
1) Changing demographics show that the workforce is shrinking and getting older.
Declining birth rates since the peak of the post-World War II baby boom mean that the pool of workers aged 18 to 54 is shrinking, but the pool of workers aged 55-plus has been growing since 1990. In fact, the fastest growing segment of the workforce is people aged 75 and up, according to Carly Roszkowski, vice president of AARP Financial Resilience Programming.
“While it’s a smaller portion of the labor market, it’s expected to grow from 8.9 percent back in 2020 to 11.7 percent in 2030,” she says.
As this shift continues, Roszkowski contends employers need to learn the value of having older employees and a mixed generational workforce. She says the benefits include employees that have more experience, different perspectives, and better decision-making skills. Unfortunately, not all businesses are ready to accommodate older workers either in terms of the corporate culture or the physical work environment.
“There’s a lot of workplaces that aren’t built for an aging population,” says Colene Elridge, CEO of Be More Consulting in Georgetown. “So I think a lot of organizations have a lot of make-up work to do in order to be better prepared for the longevity of people in their organizations.”
Physical workplace modifications may include ergonomic changes to make the job environment accessible to those with limited mobility or vision and hearing loss. Roszkowski says older employees may also want different work schedules or benefits, such as caregiving leave.
Both employers and younger coworkers can harbor stereotypes about older colleagues that they may need to overcome. For example, some people may believe that older adults don’t have the mental faculties to handle the challenges of today’s workplace. Elizabeth Rhodus, an assistant professor of behavioral science at the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, says that’s not true.
“There’s actually research that shows that the difference between young workers and older workers is negligible from a cognitive output standpoint,” says Rhodus. “So we can’t say that older adults aren’t performing the same. They’re performing the same as their younger counterparts.”
Janine Vanderburg, an anti-agism advocate, says older workers are often as willing and eager to learn new skills as younger employees. She says it’s also a myth that older and younger workers can’t get along with each other.
“The research that has been done on it shows actually we want to work together, and that people of any age want the same thing,” says Vanderburg. “We all want meaning and purpose, we all want fair compensation, we all want opportunities to grow in the workplace, and we all want a boss who isn’t a jerk.”
Vanderburg says a good workplace is an age-friendly environment where no one is stereotyped, excluded, or pushed out regardless of their age. She says some states have passed legislation to prevent discrimination in recruitment and hiring based on age. For example, she says Colorado, where she lives, has a law that forbids employers from asking for high school graduation dates on job applications.
Elridge says an age-friendly employer will provide training and development options to their workers of every age.
“We do know that the older generation still enjoys learning – they love learning and growing,” she says. “So where can we give them more opportunities to learn and explore and grow?”
2) Money isn’t the only reason older individuals continue to work, and the benefits they get from working go far beyond financial ones.
The panelists say money often drives an older individual to stay on the job or return to work after a period of retirement. Some may find they need to supplement their Social Security or retirement incomes, while others may face changing life circumstances that bring unexpected expenses.
Retirement can be a long-awaited dream come true for some. But for others it can lead to isolation without having a specific place to regularly go and interact with others.
“People start realizing that when they’re away from the workforce, if they haven’t planned for something to take over that, things start seeming pretty lonely,” says Vanderburg.
Roszkowski says some people report feeling a loss of purpose without meaningful work to do. Others may find that they have hard-earned knowledge or a unique skill that they want to continue to use in a work environment. Still others see a return to employment as a chance to try a completely new kind of work.
Whatever the reason, Rhodus says continuing a job that gives purpose to one’s life is good for the cognitive health of older adults.
“We know that meaningful activities are what changes and nourishes the brain the fastest,” says Rhodus. “So having a really rich job while you’re working and staying in that for as long as you possibly can is really positive for the wiring of your brain.”
Staying active with a job also benefits overall physical health. Harold Bucy is a prime example of that. The Bowling Green man left the workforce in 2005 and had been on disability since 2009. But he missed engaging with people, so he found a volunteer opportunity through his church. That eventually led to a part-time job with a local non-profit that helps people in poverty find housing and employment.
Bucy admits he initially had fears about returning to work – such as whether he could learn how to use a computer and the possibility he would lose his disability benefits if he had too much income. But now he’s glad to be employed and says he enjoys working in a multi-generational office.
“I’ve probably expanded my life expectancy because I’m active, I walk every day. I’m averaging 16,000 steps a day,” says Bucy. “My outlook on life changed when I started viewing myself differently.”
“People that are 55 or older… still matter,” he continues. “There’s lots of things you can do. You have a place at the table.”
Not only is remaining active at work good for older adults, Roszkowski says it benefits the economy.
“When older adults have the option to remain in the workforce for as long as they want or as long as they need to, consumer spending increases,” she says. “People aged 50 and older contribute $8.3 trillion to the U.S. economy each year, and that is only growing” as Americans continue to age.
3) Training programs and other resources are available to help older adults prepare for and find employment.
For some 60 years, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) has provided job training and placement services to older individuals looking to reenter the workforce. The federal program is for adults aged 55 and over who have a family income of no more than 125 percent of the federal poverty level, and who may have difficulties finding work due to their age or other barriers.
“We want to put them in situations where they can get real-world employment training and... be a viable part of that workforce,” says Morallia Tran of the Kentucky Department of Aging and Independent Living.
Susan Drahman hadn’t worked in 15 years when she started training with SCSEP through the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission.
“You’re just scared, you lack the confidence that you need to go out and look for job after that long,” says Drahman. “You feel kind of useless.”
SCSEP participants receive skills training, assistance with resume writing and job interview preparation, as well as paid work experience. The training lasts up to 27 months, and graduates often secure jobs with local non-profit or public agencies that need employees. Through SCSEP, Drahman became a regular employee at a Covington food pantry.
“The biggest thing I learned is that I’m not useless. That I do have a purpose,” she says.
More information about SCSEP is available at Area Offices on Aging and Independent Living around the commonwealth. Unfortunately, federal funding for the program has been temporarily suspended by the Trump administration.
The Northern Kentucky CAC, which covers 24 counties in northern and central parts of the state, also offers a Senior Workforce Program. It enables older adults to take classes at Northern Kentucky University or Gateway Community and Technical College that will train them for jobs in the law or personal finance.
Michael Davis is a retired attorney who says he entered the program because he didn’t want to sit at home watching television all day. So the 81-year-old registered for finance classes twice a week at NKU. He hopes that will help him land a part-time job with Fidelity Investments.
“You don’t stop thinking unless you’re in the cemetery, and you don’t want to get there too soon,” says Davis.
For other employment training and placement opportunities, contact your local senior center, Area Office on Aging, Community Action Council, or the Kentucky Career Center.
Whether you find a paid position or take volunteer work, Tran encourages older adults to put aside their fears and try something new.
“You don’t have to stop working because you’re of a certain age. Come back and get trained and go back into the workforce,” says Tran. “You’ll be amazed how much you can learn.”
