Wiser Worker Blog

Baby Boomer and Older Workers are surfing the web and STOP the presses they spend more time online than the average teenager. Your grandparents use the internet for more than email cute picture of their grandkids. It’s time we start looking at this demographic as a major player. Let’s face it they’re not going off into retirement and playing golf and sipping on martinis. However they may be using the internet to make reservations at the club for only the best tee time.

So what exactly are they doing?  Well……..everything shopping, communicating and well socializing with their friends! When they’re not surfing the web for the latest information they’re befriending people on Face book, tweeting the latest rage on Twitter and following the latest trends on blogs.

Baby Boomers and Older Workers:

Regularly use email 94%

Look up health and medical information 71%

Keep up to date on the latest news 70%

Are spending your inheritance on online gaming 47% (You better keep working!)

Managing their finances and banking 59%

Hitting the latest sales as they shop online 71% (highest % among any generational group)

Looking for work on WiserWorker.com

So the lesson here is that you better be taking this demographic seriously and learn from them as they want to teach you what they know!

Source: Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).

The population born between 1946 and 1964 is commonly referred to as the Baby Boom generation.

Over 1/4 of the total U.S. population in 2006 was between ages 42 and 60.

The Majority of Baby Boomers:

\Are currently married

Reported having some college or higher

Are currently employed and working

Are currently married

What are of the country do Baby Boomer’s favor?  

South           28 Million                                            

Midwest        17.5 Million                                          

West            17.4 Million                                          

Northeast      15 Million      

Baby Boomer’s Favorite States:

California

Texas

New York

Florida

Pennsylvania

Top 5 Counties where Baby Boomer Live:      

Los Angeles County, California

Cook County, Illinois

Harris County, Texas  

Maricopa County, Arizona

Orange County, California

Interesting Facts:

65% of Baby Boomers are married

49% of Baby Boomers have at least a bachelor’s degree.

35% of Older American’s have serves in the armed forces

95% of Older American’s are still employed

92% of Baby Boomers still are earning income

80% of Older American’s own their own home

Have you ever had one of those days when you wonder where the nice people went?  Today I learned that they apparently work at the Mesa, AZ Dillard’s. I read an article in the Arizona Republic that gave me hope that people really do care about their co-workers. It was a story about how one person took the initiative to help another, and I would bet my last dollar he didn’t do it to get article written about him in the Arizona Republic.

My hero of the week though I would bet he doesn’t consider himself a hero is Daniel Anderson, a part time security guard for Dillard’s. Daniel noticed that his coworker Gregory Lewis was in pain everyday from his prosthetic leg, the same leg he received 30 years ago after a battle with cancer. Mr. Lewis has no health insurance and a new prosthetic cost over $10,000.  

What happened next is a story of compassion; Daniel headed up a project to get Gregory a new leg. He contacted Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics in Chandler, the store manager, and fellow coworkers and shared that they needed to do something to help Gregory and the rest is magical. Mr. Lewis got a new leg all because one special person took on a mission to change another’s life and he did just that. 

The special bonus to this already magnificent story is that Mr. Lewis also got a new job much closer to his home at the Arrowhead Towne Center Dillard’s. So here’s a special thank you to Daniel Anderson who chose to travel the extra mile to make a difference. You are special!

And that folks is why we not only NEED National Employ Older Workers but why I look forward to this event all year. National Employ Older Workers Week showcases as well as honors the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which provides on-the-job skills training to individuals 55 or older with limited financial resources. Over the years, SCSEP has helped over one million older Americans enter the workforce.

WiserWorker.com honors older workers by hosting a job fairs series that operates in markets all across the United States. Our theme this year is Putting American’s Back to Work our goal is to hold events where employers are hiring job seekers NOW!

So do yourself a favor is you come across an older worker do one of 2 things thank them for their service or better still HIRE THEM!!

Contact your State Representatives Today to Invest in Older Americans

The Issue - The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the cornerstone of services to America’s aging population, investing in seniors’ health, service and economic security.  OAA funding has not kept pace with inflation, the growth in the over-60 population, and the demand for services in the current economy.

Background - If funding since 2002 had simply kept pace with inflation and the increasing number of seniors, it would have been over $500 million higher this year. Inadequate funding for OAA means that only an estimated six percent of eligible older Americans have received the vital services for which they are eligible. The current economy erodes this funding further as service costs rise and demand increases.

Spending money on OAA programs is an investment in older Americans’ health, service opportunities and economic security, empowering them to remain active and independent.  This investment also results in savings in other federal spending; Medicaid and Medicare expenditures are decreased by reducing premature nursing home placements, averting malnutrition and controlling chronic health conditions.

Take Action - Call and/or email your Representatives today to request that they sign on to the Delahunt-Platts-Klein letter in support of a 12% increase in Older Americans Act funding.  You can look up your Representatives here and call them through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.  Email them using our sample message, but be sure to add your own perspective about OAA services and the needs of older Americans in your communities.

In just 6 days we will welcome a new leader into the most prestigious office of President of United States.  We welcome the new President Obama with open arms and anticipated his every move and with hope that he can help repair the state that our country is in and quickly!

This inauguration is an event that will end up in the history books for certain.  It’s expected to be the most attended inauguration event in our recent history, so large in fact that President Bush has declared it an emergency in order to free up money to help handle security. Kind of crazy, right? 

What does this change really mean?  For our sakes I hope that we can see some immediate positive change in the current labor market. It’s on all of our minds an especially those of you that are currently looking for work. The economy has had an impact on all of us. 

Our company had taken a proactive approach to this impending labor market crisis, the first in the line of defense is our “Putting American’s Back to Work” Job Fair series taking place in more than 50 cities across the country throughout 2009. The job fair series allows jobseekers to have personal contact with perspective employers. 

Our family of niche job board websites in another tool we hope to arm you with as you search for the perfect job:

WiserWorker.com dedicated to providing quality employment opportunities and resources to the largest demographic group in the country, the older worker. Employmentguide.com the hourly job recruitment source.

Careersingears.com  A website where you can search for nationwide and local truck driving jobs from the country’s top trucking companies.

Healthcareerweb.com  The go to site for all positions related to the medical marketplace.

You can see we are armed and ready to help President Obama get American’s back to work in the very near future. Visit one of our websites today to find the perfect job that’s just right for YOU.

I’ve seen several news sources lately that present quite a positive outlook for the 60+ workers considering getting into the workforce. It’s not surprising with the Baby Boomers gearing up for retirement it seems that there’s a lot of hype about whether or not we’ll have enough people to fill all the jobs that are available. Even now with a lack luster economy, it seems employers are looking for more experience, better quality candidates. Alot of these news stories have been saying that mature workers are actually preferred in some of the jobs that traditionally have been for teenagers or college students.

Quote from the Birmingham Post:

More than a third of businesses in the region are relying on older employees to plug skills shortages in their businesses, according to the Tenon Forum.

And more than half of owner-managers in the region are concerned about skills shortages and many claim younger recruits are often just not up to the job.

A lack of work readiness amongst graduates and poor literacy and numeracy amongst school leavers were key issues cited by businesses.

And many business owners are now looking to the previously untapped potential of older workers to plug the gap, with 63 per cent of SME leaders agreeing that the employment of workers aged 50 plus is a good solution to skills shortages. About one in six entrepreneurial businesses in the West Midlands actually prefer hiring older workers over college leavers as a solution to staffing problems.

(Read the full article: Older generation can solve the skills gap.)

Gazette.net in Maryland also had a similar story that emphasizes how hard it is this summer for teenagers to get their summer jobs. They’re finding that their biggest competition is more experienced adults who either have been laid off or looking to get some extra money to supplement their retirement or social security checks.

‘‘There are still jobs, but they tend to go to older workers who were laid off,” Mance said. ‘‘Kids tend to go to the back of the line, if you will, because more experienced workers are available and taking an interest in retail.”

When young people do find jobs, they either lucked into them or traveled to a tourist destination to live for the summer, she said.

‘‘Their parents want them to have jobs for the summer, but it’s brutal,” she said. ‘‘You have to be aware where the jobs are or stay where the jobs are if they provide housing.”

(Read the full article: For teens seeking a job, it’s summertime blues)

Now, I think the job market is different in every city and whether or not it’s as dire as the article makes it sound for teenagers, I think that there is one thing that is for sure - that mature workers really have a benefit of experience and that employers really have started considering them as a desireable (and in some cases preferred) demographic.

(Photo by ™bluhousworker)

When starting to write for a new blog I always feel as if I need an obligatory introduction post. It’s kind of like introducing yourself to someone new. On this blog you’ll find issues and posts related to anything regarding the “older worker” or “mature worker”. Personally, I’ve never been much a fan of those terms. That’s where the term “wiser worker” comes in. It reflects the life and work experience that you have.

What’s this Blog all about?

If you do some research on me over the internet you’ll find that I’m in my 20’s. You might think that I know nothing about what the Wiser Worker. You’d pretty much be right. That’s why I’m here: because I can work this blog thing and because I’d like to learn together.

What I do know is that those of you entering retirement age (or starting to think about it) and those post-retirement age are facing so many issues with the economy situation, social security, deciding on when to retire and whether or not you can afford it. I also try and get a good perspective on the job market and read and write a lot about job hunting advice. This blog will hopefully explore some of those issues that you’re facing and provide a resource for you to find advice and information you need on getting back in the workplace, prepare and enter retirement, working part-time or figuring out how to understand and work alongside of the younger generations. We’ll also probably have a lot of information for hiring managers and recruiters who are looking to hire wiser workers.

I look forward to the discussions and the things we can learn from each other and hope that this blog will become a great resource for job seekers and recruiters alike. And at anytime, please feel free to email me with questions or suggestions on what you’d like to see here to rosemary.reilman@employmentguide.com. You can also contact any of the other authors. We’d be happy to help. Or you can always leave a comment.

As Sinatra would say, “The best is yet to come.”