There have been sweeping changes to the US labor markets in just the past year.  Jobs in occupations, industries and communities that were prospering in 2007 and early 2008 have virtually evaporated.  Other occupations, industries and locations have emerged as relatively good places to work and seek employment.

Occupations

The occupations and professions that were strong in the past few years have remained strong and offer the best opportunities.  Nurses, teachers, home care aides, accountants, vehicle drivers, engineers and scientists can find work with some ease.  Retail clerks, bank tellers, commercial and consumer lenders, financial analysts, food servers and cooks, manufacturing workers, warehousers, and real estate agents are the most affected by the declining economy and loss of jobs.

The occupations that are in the best condition are those related to life's essentials - food, healthcare, energy, transportation, education and government (though you might challenge me on this last one).

Industries

Federal government, healthcare, accounting, education, engineering, food manufacturing and distribution, energy production and transportation are the major bright spots where labor and skill shortages have meant continued job openings and relatively secure employment.  The economy has taken a heavy toll on jobs in retailing, fast food and restaurants, finance, manufacturing (particularly auto manufacturing and sales) and the housing sector.

Locations

This is the biggest surprise of all.  States and regions that have prospered for years, such as the Southwest, Florida, North and South Carolina, California, and the Midwest have fallen on their face economically.  Many of these traditional "retirement havens" have double-digit unemployment, dramatic declines in housing prices and growing state government deficits.

The best states and communities to find a job and live affordably are in smaller and “more out of the way” places including New Hampshire, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, New Mexico, South and North Dakota, Nebraska and Montana.

Do retirees and pre-retirees really relocate to areas where the jobs are more plentiful?  I suspect not – it’s usually to be closer to children or to a more temperate climate.  Still, if you have notions of relocation, it appears that these big open spaces of quite low unemployment and low cost-of-living could be just the place to ride out your retirement.  Do you know of any great places to live where there are good prospects of being employed?

Bob Skladany

Let’s not sugar coat things.  This is the worst economic downturn in the past three generations.  Raging unemployment, falling house prices, financial turmoil, failure of major employers, absolutely incomprehensible Federal and State budget deficits, skyrocketing health care costs, home foreclosures and 40% to 50% declines in personal investment values.   People with traditional defined benefit pensions and retiree health benefits are the truly blessed – and even they’re potentially at risk as employers alter retiree benefits after a worker has retired.

Worse yet, this recession is global.  Our economy is intertwined in countless ways with the entire world economy, and conditions are worse in many countries.  Even optimistic economists and academics are predicting the global economy will becoming worse and be longer in recovering than any time inthe past.  It just could be that the best days for our economy and our families arebehind us – at least for quite a long time.

 The people writing to me are expressing the full range of emotions from “somewhat concerned” to “utter despair”.  People anticipating retirement now face the necessity of continuing to work.  Recent retirees are actively looking to returning to work, and older retirees unable to work are simply scared to death of outliving their assets and income.

 The truth is that many of us are not at all prepared for the economic conditions roaring headlong at us.  Large personal debt, meager savings and declining work opportunities are“the perfect storm”.  Even hardworking and qualified job seekers can’t find suitable work. The reality is that sometimes the only advice I can offer older jobseekers is go for any job you can find, reduce your living costs, takecare of your health and reach out to family and friends for support.  It’s been very discouraging for me that I can’t be of more help, or can I?

 We all have a choice to make about how we’ll cope, and I’ve made mine. 

 Before I tell you, let me share how I arrived at the answer.  I didn’t believe the stories my Dad told me about “picking coal” that had fallen from the railcars on their way out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to warm the one-room tarpaper shack he shared with his folks and eleven brothers and sisters.  I didn’t believe the stories about feeding the youngest kids first with little or nothing left sometimes for his Mom and Dad.  Until the day he died, he would yell at us if we left the front door open long enough for cold air to come in. 

 I was raised under the cloud of him thundering, “Just thank God you didn’t have to live through the Depression”.  Appreciate what you’ve got, share with anyone in need, look outfor your family, and most importantly, don’t plan on things staying good forever.  Work hard, save money, plan for bad days and never, ever give in to despair.  Now he went from the Depression directly into World War II.  By my count, that’s sixteen years of continuous struggle and challenges.  By comparison, I actually feel relieved at what we have to deal with today.

 So, now for my choice.  I choose to continue to work as hard as I can for as long as I can.  I choose to share the talents and knowledge I’ve gained from fifty years of work.  I choose to help some of the eleven million unemployed workers find appropriate jobs where they can care for their families and themselves.  I choose to encourage older workers to be proud of their capabilities and maturity.  I choose to be persistent and not tolerate age bias in any form.

 There will always be people who are unemployed for one reason or another.  Today, there more than 11 million unemployed and countless others underemployed and in financial trouble. 

 But I also know there about 3,500,000 jobs posted on online job posting boards and perhaps another million or so that are never advertised.  All in all, that’s about two or three candidates for every job.  The jobs will not always go to the best qualified candidate.  More often than not, they will go to the most skillful and persistent job seeker.  They will not go to the downhearted or discouraged, and they certainly won’t go to the people who have given up the search.

 I’m going to cope through sheer force of will and by remembering that people have survived much more.  I’m going to cope by doing the best possible work I can and by committing to assist others whenever I can.

 Please take a minute and write to share your thoughts on the challenge confronting us and how you plan to see your way through.  Thanks, Bob Skladany

1. Walk Away From Employers Demanding “Solid” Resumes –Move on to the next possible employer. There isn’t much else to do. I’m actually pretty surprised that this has been a problem for you with “many employers”. The majority of employers I deal with don’t have such expectations. They understand the world and workers’ obligations are changing. 

1. Enlightened Employers - Look for more enlightened employers including those on the AARP National Employer Team or RetirementJobs.com’s Age Friendly Certified Employers. Do a job search on AARP.org. Also, do a Google search on your city or town and “best employers” – you’ll often find a list of good employers.

1. Resume Revision – It is often not necessary to put the month and year of employment on your work history. Most employers are satisfied with just the year. Is this deceptive? I don’t believe so. Your resume is not about accounting for where you’ve been every day of your life – it’s to describe your capabilities and qualifications. Your work history is simply a framework to explain the jobs and duties you’ve held. If an employer requires an accounting of every month, enter those time periods as if they were jobs and state “Homecare assistance to elderly family member”. Consider having an acquaintance or family member look at your resume to see if it needs a general “tune up”.

1. Don’t Be Defensive or Awkward – Could you possibly be making a bigger issue of this than it really is? Your resume “holes” should be a point of pride, not a shortcoming. I encourage you to downplay in every possible way these minor interruptions in your employment history. Sell your capabilities and achievements and don’t dwell on your “dates of employment.”

Regular visitors to AARP.org’s Money and Work channel may be aware of my “Ask Bob about Jobs” column.  You can submit your work-related questions directly to me.  Several questions are selected each week to be answered in my column in the hope that the questions and answers are of value to the 50+ reader.  Occasionally, I will also answer questions here in my Journal.

Q: I have a college degree and extensive professional training and have worked in my occupation for  more than 37 years.   I was laid off recently and need to continue to work but I don’t want to return to 55-hour weeks and the headachces of management.  I have applied to several good employers for jobs similar to ones I held 20 years ago.  I understand and accept that they pay less than I earned on my last management job. I am comfortable working for a younger boss.  In fact, I have a great deal to offer by mentoring younger colleagues.  I meet every requirement for these jobs but inevitably I’m told, "Sorry, but you’re overqualified."  How is it a bad thing to be overqualified?  Shirley, IL 

A: Shirley, your question is one I hear every day in conversations with job seekers. What age 50+ job seeker hasn’t heard those dreaded words at least once during a job search?  Let me try to answer two ways.

First, take action before the question is ever asked.  State clearly in applications, cover letters and during interviews, why you are seeking the job.  Make it clear that you understand that you are more than qualified for the position and that you are deliberately seeking such a job.  Be careful because the employer may interpret your goal as "I don’t want to work as hard as I used to" or "I’m just looking for a job where I can coast to retirement."

Discuss work and life balance as well as your enthusiasm to contribute 100% at your new job.  Explain your willingness to mentor other workers (avoid saying "younger workers") and the value of your accumulated knowledge and skills (avoid use of the word "experience" which some interviewers hear as "I’m old").

Explain that your pay expectations are based on the value of the position and the employer’s pay structure, not your previous salary.  The bottom line is to let the employer know that you have made a conscious and deliberate decision to pursue the job of interest.  Make your qualifications a point of pride rather than a point of contention.  Raising the topic yourself gives you more control and confidence than waiting until you are asked to explain your motivation.  If you don’t have the opportunity to bring the issue up first, then be prepared for the question sometime during the interview cycle.

So, second, how do you reply when asked , "But aren’t you overqualified?"  Tempting as it might be to jump up and run screaming around the room, take a long and deep breath and explain that you view your extensive qualifications as a real asset to the employer and that your decision to pursue the job is a deliberate one.  Bring up the same issues mentioned earlier about mentoring, pay expectations, work/life balance and enthusiasm. 

Undertstand that the interviewer may be having difficulty actually comprehending that any person would want to work at a job of less importance and at lower compensation.  Don’t jump to the conclusion that the word "overqualified" is code for "you’re too old" or "I don’t have any other reason to reject you so I’ll say you’re overqualified."  Be ready for the question and try to determine what the recruiter is really asking.  Best wishes for a successful job hunt.  Bob

Regular visitors to AARP.org’s Work channel may be aware of my “Ask Bob about Jobs” column.  You can submit your work-related questions directly to me.  Several questions are selected each week to be answered in the column in the hope that the questions and answers are of value to the 50+ reader.  Occasionally, I will also answer questions here in my journal.

 Q:   I’m a 67-year-old man and still have a burning desire to compete.  My background is in real estate.  With the horrible slowdown in the real estate field, I would appreciate your suggestions at getting work in the sales management field. I feel especially capable at doing sales training and am able to work in several industries including real estate and the institutional food business.  Louis , NJ

 A: Louis, I could feel the energy in your question.  Your enthusiasm is a clear contradiction of the myth that older workers lack drive and ambition.  Your “burning desire to compete” should be a clear message to other older workers that we ourselves can sometimes be the cause of our own discouragement.  Now, what to do with all that energy?

 If you read the research, you would believe that sales professionals and sales managers are in short supply. But don’t conclude that you should have little difficulty landing a new and rewarding job.  Unfortunately, not every employer is excited about hiring a 67-year-old sales pro. To boot, real estate is predicted to stay slow for some time..  Here’s what I suggest.

Resume – Prepare a resume with the primary focus on your capabilities and achievements.  This needn’t be long and complex.  Ask a friend for help or contact a resume writing service.  RetirementJobs.com offers such a service for a fee  or can direct you to our writers.

 Online Job Search - Get familiar with using online job posting boards.  You can search available positions by Zip code, or keywords such as “sales”, sales professional”, or “sales manager.”  You can also search by industry.  There are also special or “niche” job sites such as SalesJobs.com that list sales job exclusively. 

 Also check RetirementJobs.com or AARP.org for Age Friendly Employers offering sales positions.  I just did a job search on the word “sales” and came up with 83 positions within 30 miles of your residence.  If you need help using an online job search site, contact their customer service e-mail or phone number.

 Local Employers – I’ll bet you’ve lived in your town for some time and are pretty familiar with the major employers, but have you given any thought to small businesses?  Take a drive around town or look in your local yellow pages. Start contacting local, smaller employers.  You may find them very interested in connecting with a real sales professional.

Best wishes on your search.  I suspect with your desire to contribute, it won’t be long before you discover several opportunities. 

Regular visitors to AARP.org may be aware of my “Ask Bob About Jobs” column.  You can submit your work-related questions directly to me.  Several questions are selected each week to be answered in the column in the hope that the questions and answers are of value to the 50+ reader.  Occasionally, I will also answer questions here in my journal.

Q:   I’ve been out of work for some time and I don’t even know how to start a job search.  In fact, I don’t even know what I want to do.  I was laid off as an Information Technology (IT) manager but instead of searching for a new job, I became the primary caregiver to my terminally ill in-laws.  They have passed away and I want to get back to work but I don’t know what options are open to me.  Is there a service or tools that will help me identify jobs that would be a good fit?

Barbara S. - Georgia

A: Barbara, your situation is becoming increasingly common – and it’s always unsettling.  When a caregiver is needed, the duty typically falls disproportionately on one, or at the most, two people.  Having been laid off, you were probably the natural candidate for this most demanding role.

I’m not surprised that you’re uncertain about your occupational future.  Even if you wanted to, reentering the IT field after a significant absence can be challenging due to technology changes.  It may even be necessary to refresh your knowledge if you want to return to IT.  Further, caregiving can leave you emotionally and physically drained and dispirited.

At 53, the prospect of restarting a career can be daunting.  Try following these few steps:

1.    Get Fit – Start with a complete medical exam and get on a healthful nutrition and exercise routine.
2. Seek Out a Counselor – Ask your doctor or other trusted advisor for a referral to an occupational or career counselor.  There may be free services available through your local Career One Stop office or human service organizations.  You may have to pay for needed services – it would be well worth receiving an thorough evaluation of your capabilities, interests and occupational preferences.  Check the counselor’s qualifications and certifications.  Don’t be afraid to ask for references.
3. Self-Study – The library and bookstores are full of self-help books on occupations and career planning.  Just dive in and start reading about the many options available.  Something may catch your eye.
4.  Identify Occupational Choices – Gather the ideas you got from your career coach, Career One Stop, and your own research.  Search online job posting boards for examples of jobs in your community.  AARP’s Web site offers access to a free online job posting board powered by RetirementJobs.com or go directly to the job board at RetirementJobs.com.  List 5 or 10 jobs that sound promising.
5.  Prepare a Resume – Prepare a new resume and don’t worry about the “gap” in your employment history.  Simply state “Served as full time caregiver to family member”.  Your Career One Stop may be able to provide free help with your resume or go to a resume writing service.  RetirementJobs.com provides a resume writing service tailored for age 50+ job seekers.
6.  Prepare a Search Plan – Write down your top occupational choices, several targeted employers, and start researching actual job openings. Check back here later this month for a comprehensive article on performing a job search.

You are probably going to be working for 10 or 12 more years.  Take the time to do a thorough and thoughtful search – but get started now!  Commit to begin your “re-careering” initiative today – it will all start coming back to you.

Best wishes.

Bob

Regular visitors to the Work channel may be aware of my “Ask Bob About Jobs" column. You can submit your work-related questions directly to me. Several questions are selected each week to be answered in the column in the hope that the questions and answers are of value to the 50+ reader.  Occasionally, I will also answer questions in my Journal.

Q: I’m retiring after working 31 years for the U.S. Navy. I went to work for a telecommunications company. I was laid off after 10 years due to a merger. I have a great work history and am eager to continue working.   Unfortunately, I am finding it difficult to find a new job. It could be my age or also my impaired hearing that prevents me from working at a job requiring use of a phone. I am a fluent lip reader so I can work face-to-face with no difficulty. I have had several possibilities but my hearing problem seems to be stopping me. Do you have any advice?   Merry. – Annandale, Va.

A: Merry, first let me compliment you on your persistence and fortitude. You didn’t mention the type of work you did, so my suggestions will have to be somewhat general.

You should be aware that you have two important federal laws in your favor. The 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits consideration of age in hiring and employment decisions and actions. 

The second, and more important for you, is the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This act specifically addresses employment issues. In summary, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment. Possible changes may include restructuring jobs, altering the layout of workstations, or modifying equipment. Your hearing impairment will be an obstacle only when hearing ability is a genuine job requirement that cannot be “reasonably accommodated.”

Both of these laws protect your employment rights. You would think that the simple existence of these laws would compel employer compliance. Regrettably, this is not always the case. Rather than doing battle with employers that resist compliance with these laws, I recommend you put your energy into finding employers who value all employees, regardless of age or disability.

You wonder if your difficulty finding a job could be due to your age and hearing impairment. I can’t determine if you have been the target of bias due to age or disability, but it’s likely this hasn’t helped you. My advice is to ignore your age and hearing impairment and proceed with your job search - it seems there isn’t much to do about either condition. So where to look?

I checked job postings on AARP.org’s job search and found 364 openings within 30 miles of your home; 299 openings within 20 miles; and 69 openings within 10. Many of these jobs are with Age-Friendly Certified employers recognized by RetirementJobs.com, AARP, or both. Most of these employers are in retail and your hearing impairment should not be an obstacle. They include Borders; Citizens Bank; Fresh Market (grocery); REI (recreation product); Safeway; Staples; Synergy HomeCare (in-home health and personal care services);  Erickson Retirement Communities; and Talbots. These jobs offer a pleasant and active environment and they have declared their desire to hire workers of all ages.

There are several non-profits searching for tutors, job coaches and aides to work with disabled or learning impaired students including Educational Services of America – College Living Experience; and Pride Industries.

Finally, staffing agencies have many appropriate openings (I looked at all of them). Age-Friendly staffing firms in your immediate area include Accountemps, Office Team, Manpower, and Express Employment Professionals. They’re all Certified Age Friendly! Best wishes on another 10 or 20 years of work.

  Regular visitors to AARP.org’s Money and Work channel may be aware of my  “Ask Bob About Jobs” column. You can submit your work-related questions directly to me.  Several questions are selected each week to be answered in either my blog or the twice-monthly column in the hope that the questions and answers are of value to the 50+ reader.  

Some questions ask for information and specific guidance about finding and keeping meaningful and rewarding jobs.  Other times, the questions are more general and invite a bit more judgment and personal opinion.  I thought I would try answering several such questions in my journal in the hopes they will trigger reader responses and suggestions.  Perhaps you’ll be encouraged to send in your own question.

Q:  I’m 50 years old, divorced since age 35 and getting ready to send my youngest off to start college.  After earning a BA from UCLA, I worked in several challenging professional positions but then became a working Mom about 20 years ago and since then have held only modest jobs so I could focus on raising my children.  Finally, it’s “my time” and I want to resume a stimulating and rewarding career.  I am open to any options though I’m having a tough time getting on track to pursue appropriate employment.  What in the world can I do??  Terri, Bellport, N.Y.

A: 50!  Wow, 50 is YOUNG.  I’d love to be 50 and know what I know now!  First, my compliments on your decision to put work in its proper place and focus on raising your children.  Sending the youngest off must be a relief but what to do with your time now? 

Age 50 is a wonderful time to restart a career or transition to something new.  You have at least ten to fifteen years or more to work before considering a more traditional retirement.  The problem can be that you have too many choices and it can be difficult narrowing down your options.

It’s an ideal time to take stock of your resources and then ask “what’s next?”  Retirement Living TV produces an excellent show titled just that – “What’s Next?” The show features real life makeovers for people 50+.  The steps they generally recommend are:

1. Health Evaluation: What is your health condition and are you caring for yourself and living a healthful lifestyle? What type of health insurance coverage do you have?
2. Financial Evaluation: What is your financial status and what are your current and forecasted income needs?
3. Social Evaluation: Are you living where you feel most comfortable and do you have a close and supportive social network?
4. Work:  What role does meaningful work play in your long term plan? 

Then comes the big question:  What do you want to do now that you’ve grown up?  What are you passionate about?  What tasks do you most enjoy?  What kind of work environment and colleagues do you most enjoy?  Make a “dream job” list of your top 10 career choices and prepare a “pros” and “cons” rating.  You may even want to consider those that require additional training or education.  Ask others what career they envision you pursuing.

Considering working at temporary positions available through top staffing firms such as Manpower;  Robert Half;  Kelly Services;  Adecco; and Express Employment Professionals to try out different occupations.  You may even want to consider a part-time job in occupations and industries of interest.

There are several excellent career reference books available as well:

1. Over-40 Job Search Guide, Gail Geary, JIST Works Publishing, 2005
2.  Second Careers – New Ways to Work After 50, Caroline Bird,  Little, Brown, 1992
3.  How to Find a Job After 50, Betsy Cummings,  Warner Business Books, 2005
4.  Job Hunting After 50, Samuel Ray,  John Wiley & Sons, 1991
5.  What Color Is Your Parachute?  For Retirement,  Richard Bolles,  Ten Speed Press,  2007

Narrow your “dream jobs” down to three or four and sketch out a plan to prepare for each occupation.  Starting with your top priority prepare a job search plan, identify target employers, prepare a statement of career objective and resume (highlighting that you’re are a career “re-starter”) that emphasizes your skills, capabilities and knowledge.  Describe your 20 years as parent and provider as a single item on the resume. 

The key though will be a clear and decisive declaration of your career objective.  You need to “knock the socks off” of potential employers with your enthusiasm for specific career opportunities and their organization.  You need to research employers of interest and impress them with your knowledge.

I checked job openings at RetirementJobs.com within 30 miles of your home – there were 94 and I suspect you would consider most of them “modest.”  If you are willing to commute to Manhattan there are countless challenging jobs available.

So my advice?  Make sure your “house is in order”, identify your top “dream jobs”, lay out a search plan for each and get started.  It’s sort of like being 20 again when people asked, “Well, what do you want to do for a living?” except that you have all that life experience to call on now. 

Do you have questions about organizing a job search plan?  Write again if you do.  Best wishes.

The 1967 Age Discrimination Employment Act prohibited age-based discrimination in hiring and employment for workers age 40+.  Did it cause employers to eliminate age bias as effectively as laws regarding gender or racial bias? 

I don’t think so.  Several observers have said that age bias is the “last socially acceptable form of discrimination.”  But recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings are likely to change this thinking.

In fact, interpretation and enforcement of ADEA appears to have done little to influence workers’ opinions about the prevalence of age bias. More than 95% of workers believe age bias continues to be an obstacle to getting hired and staying employed. 

The evidence indicates that workers seldom succeed in their claims of age bias – if they ever even try to bring a claim or legal action.  Historically, workers had a pretty weak position if they believed they were the subject of age bias.  Legal costs could easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars. The EEOC and legal process could take many months and even years. An employee’s reputation could be damaged irreparably and fear of retaliation if the worker is bringing a claim against a current employer.

In those cases where employees have solid evidence of age bias, employers are inclined to settle outside of court and then bury the problem with a binding release of liability and a confidentiality agreement. This  conceals the scope and nature of their age bias problem.

In fairness, I want to say that I believe that there are increasing numbers of employers who are sincerely committed to defeating age bias.  These “age friendly” employers understand the value of the age 50+ worker and their obligations to comply with the ADEA.  These companies should be commended and recognized.

So what’s changed?  For starters,  a March 2005 Supreme Court ruling determined that it was sufficient that an employee could claim age-based “adverse impact” regardless of an employer’s intent.  For example, if a layoff disproportionately affected older workers, regardless of the employers’ method for identifying those to be terminated, age bias could be claimed. 

The only problem was that employers could readily establish that their action had “reasonable cause” other than age.  Frequently, employers claimed that their basis was cost reduction – and guess what?  A good effort by the Supreme Court, but it didn’t do the job.  Employers won virtually every legal action.  But let’s give the Court credit for moving in the correct direction in interpreting the ADEA.

Now here’s the surprise!  The 2007/2008 Supreme Court has rendered five decisions strengthening workers’ ADEA rights.  This is an extraordinary series of events particularly in light of vigorous opposition by employer groups and industry lobbyist. 

Could it be that the growing importance of the age 50+ population and workforce is getting some traction?  I follow age bias law and claims very closely and I am optimistic that we are experiencing a fundamental and favorable “sea change” in our society’s perceptions about aging.

On June 19, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that employers now have the burden to prove that they did not discriminate, and it is no longer the burden of workers to prove their age bias claim.  This seemingly simple distinction has major implications.  Placing the burden of proof on employers will make it easier for employees to bring age bias claims to court, and increase the probability they will prevail.

I don’t believe the news here is that it will be easier to win a claim.  To me, the best news is that the courts, and subsequently employers, will change their policies, practices and behaviors and take steps to insure their workplace is age neutral. My hope is, that as a result, age-based bias will begin to fade away. 

I also have a concern about unintended consequences.  I don’t deny that age bias and discrimination does occur.  And while I believe that age bias often results from management indifference or inattention, there are instances of deliberate disregard of the ADEA law and older workers' rights. 

My concern is that older workers may be too quick to yell “age bias.”  There really are instances where the older candidate is less qualified than the younger;  the older employee is not the best candidate for advancement or promotion and the older worker selected for layoff or termination is less skilled, productive and effective.  Whether an employee is 20 or 60, age should not be the deciding factor.  The ADEA is intended to prohibit discrimination based solely on age. 

There were times when I was selected for layoff or failed to get a job offer.  There was no way I was not the best candidate – just ask me!  The first thought in my mind (probably to soften the emotional blow) was that it must be age bias.  I learned that not everything that feels like age bias is truly age bias.

I hope that the new legal landscape will protect those subjected to age discrimination without triggering a flood of ill-justified claims. 

Do you think Supreme Court rulings will make a difference and do you believe employers and our society are ready to start writing the obituary for age bias?  I would like to hear your opinion.  Bob 

At about age 40 I was pretty certain I would be able to retire at 55, maybe 58 at the latest.

 I wasn’t sure exactly what I would do with my time (at age 40 I could still think of a lot of things) – I just knew I wasn’t going to be working the 60-hour weeks that had been my routine since getting out of the service. 

 I was earning a pretty good income and had been building up savings to supplement my company pension, and social security.  Health insurance coverage?  Not a concern.  I was extremely healthy and the premiums were so low I never even paid attention to them.  Retiree health benefits?  I don’t even remember if they were offered by my employer.  I would never be sick enough to care.

 I’d give anything to be in that environment again.

 A few layoffs later and somewhat “north of 60,” I’m still working full time (and I’m fortunate to have a great job helping people age 50+ to find good work). I’m covered by employer-provided health care and my 401(k) and IRA accounts are almost back to where they were seven years ago. 

 Regrettably, I am no longer eligible for employer-sponsored retiree health benefits. I will receive a whopping $100 monthly pension from my employer of 30 years ago while premiums for health coverage cost more than $600 a month. My projected social security benefit will be equal to about 20% of my current salary (35% if I work until I’m 70). 

 To make matters worse, the retirement calculators you see on the Web suggest that I (or someone at my age) should be saving about 25% of my salary and earning 10% compounded returns on savings to maintain my current standard of living in retirement.  I estimate the cost of living (primarily food, health care, energy, and property taxes) for people over 60 is running at a 15 to 20% growth rate.  So: less income, higher expenses and more uncertainty.

 I’m getting too old for this.

 So what to do?  Inherit wealth?  None that I know about.  Marry into a wealthy family?  Too late.  Have numerous children who will take care of me in my golden years?  Too late again – I’m already in my “golden years.”  Avoid chronic and severe illness?  Once again, too late.  Been there – done that.  I never anticipated that getting older would be this difficult. 

 That leaves pretty much one path.  Eat wisely, exercise, keep learning and be prepared to continue or return to work.  Getting older may not be as great as we once imagined, but it beats not getting older!  In fact, recent research strongly suggests that older workers are happier and healthier.  So even if you don’t need the money, working may be good for you.

 There are actually quite a few meaningful, rewarding and enjoyable jobs available for age 50+ workers.  They may not be in your primary occupation, and they may not pay what you earned during your “peak earning years,” but that $10,000 to $30,000 in annual income may make the difference between scraping by and living nicely.