The case for hiring older workers is backed by hard numbers
The old adage is that numbers don’t lie. So, if you want to make the case for hiring the 50+ job seeker, maybe you (OK, we.) should look at some of the numbers. Our friends at AARP have provided the following (and a whole lot more.)
For the first time since 1948, employees over the age of 65 in U.S. now outnumber teenagers in the workforce.
Workers age 50 and over comprised 24.6 percent of the workforce in 2002. By 2012, that number had climbed to 32.3 percent. Estimates show that, by 2022, this group will represent 35.4 percent of the workforce.
The number of workers age 40-49 fell by six percent over the past decade. On the other hand, the number of workers 50-59 and 60-69 increased by 28 and 72 percent respectively.
Although employees over age 50 put a high premium on current and future financial considerations and benefits, psychological and social fulfillment play important roles as well.
The most popular non-financial benefits for the 50+ workers today are: flexible work schedules, options to work remotely, training and education opportunities as well as phased retirement.
The benefits of hiring age 50+ workers include high levels of engagement, stability, productivity and experience.
Projections indicate that between 2002 and 2022, the number of workers younger than 50 will decrease by three percent while the the number of workers older than 50 will increase by 62 percent.
The case for hiring the age 50+ candidate are wide and varied and fully supportable with hard statistics. You can use this data to disarm any non-believer who doubts the benefits of the older worker.
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