Demographic Landscape Shifting

as the Older Population Grows

by William O'Boyle at timesleader.com

“The demographic landscape is shifting nationally and regionally as the older population grows. It is in turn shifting the workforce, as workers ages 55 and older account for an increasing proportion of the workforce. This change is more pronounced regionally, where one-quarter of the workforce in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties is age 55 and older, compared to the nationwide workforce proportion of 21.9 percent”…

    Another 40 percent are employed in manufacturing, retail trade, educational services, and transportation and warehousing. MORE
 

I’ve recently seen two posts on social media talking about resumes that struck me as odd. One was from a job seeker talking about how much time and effort you need to put into your resume, and then comments came in like “I did all this and I am still not getting jobs!”

    The other was from someone on LinkedIn who talked about resumes to resume writers who collaborate with their clients to create a resume vs. creating one without collaborating…. insinuating they just pump something out that maybe misses the mark. The comments were, I’d say, passionate, because there are different ways of doing things, and people felt they needed to defend their way.
 

Sonia Aranza is an accomplished 25-year veteran in diversity, equity & inclusion. She was selected to execute congressionally mandated diversity & inclusion programs for federal government executives and selected to execute unconscious bias programs for landmark discrimination cases at several corporations.   What do you believe is the biggest misconception about ageism in the workplace today?

In some ways, a remote job interview can seem like a welcome relief from the traditional format. You don’t have to worry about directions or getting stuck in traffic; plus, you only have to agonize over half an outfit. But a remote meeting doesn’t earn you full access to the body language and social cues that your interviewers exhibit.  The social awareness and mores around remote interviews are still emerging for those on both sides of the interaction.

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     According to LinkedIn, did you know that you have a 4x higher likelihood of landing your next opportunity when you keep in regular touch with your network?

     What a great way to start your interview:   “I’m so excited to be here…”

     According to mprnews.org, nearly one-quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnect between individuals’ retirement plans and the realities of aging in the workforce.

     According to a 2013 research in the US from the MetLife Foundation, over 34 million baby boomers want to start their own businesses. Also, the Kauffman Foundation and Global Entrepreneurship Monitor show that, contrary to the traditional belief that entrepreneurship is a young person’s endeavor, senior citizens are the most entrepreneurial age group. 

     Despite… obstacles, two age groups, 65 to 74 years old and 75 and older, are expected to have faster annual rates of labor force growth than that of any others, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is partly due to fears of outliving their money and driven by loving what they do. Over the decade from 2014 to 2024, the labor force growth rate for 65- to 74-year-olds is projected to be about 4.5% annually, and about 6.4% annually for those 75 and older.