Staying Fit
If you’re an older adult considering a career change or actively looking for a new gig, here’s a weird idea: Move to Austin, Texas. The state capital and university town with the quirky slogan “Keep Austin Weird” recently was tabbed by Fortune magazine as one of the five cities with the best job markets for people over 50.
With the average retirement age continuing to rise and workers more interested in staying on a job full time or part time well past their 50th birthday, there’s a growing segment of older job seekers hitting the market. The magazine examined municipalities and gauged them by attractiveness to the over-50 worker and job seeker, taking into account fast-growing economic sectors with opportunities for older workers and cultural amenities that would appeal to veteran professionals.
Austin’s booming tech industry is noted as a point in the city’s favor, but other growing sectors — including education, health, and leisure and hospitality — are contributing heavily to its job growth and minuscule 3.2 percent unemployment rate. Its vibrant arts scene — highlighted by the annual South by Southwest music and film festival — offers plenty to do and new things to discover.
Among the other cities on the list is Greenville, S.C., where big employers like BMW, General Electric and Michelin have established hubs in recent years and residents live in proximity to both the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic coast beaches. Minneapolis also makes the cut, with Fortune citing the Midwest mecca’s explosive job growth over the past year, particularly in health care and business services. And though the assumption would be that the frigid winters drive away older residents, the city has seen a net migration of workers 50-plus in the past few years.
To read the full list of cities with the best job markets for workers over 50, visit Fortune.
