Today is: Wednesday, December 23, 2020 | Our next publication day: Monday, December 28, 2020
Another pandemic effect
More Older Workers Are Retiring
and Dropping out of the Labor Market
By Mitchell Schnurman at dallasnews.com
When spring break ended last March, teacher Gay Leigh Bingham never returned to the classroom at Seagoville High School, and she still hasn’t gone back…
After 18 years of teaching agriculture science and biology, she elected to retire and work with horses at her Broken Bow Ranch in Seagoville. She offers trail rides and riding lessons to customers, and has time to breed and train horses for sale — work she long wanted to do.

COVID-19 and the Future of Aging: Workforce Trends
The challenges and opportunities for them due to the pandemic
by Art Bilger at nextavenue.org

On the surface, the pandemic is creating more challenges than opportunities for older workers, particularly low-income workers.
Higher-income workers are often in knowledge-based positions, as opposed to labor-based. And as we have seen, these knowledge-based jobs more readily adapt to the remote working that has kept many people employed since March.
Putting a dollar figure on older employees
70-Year-Old Taco Bell Employee Gifted More Than $6,000
By WESH Staff at ky3.com
An employee of a fast food restaurant in Florida received the tip of a lifetime.
Joe Decicco showed up for work and was greeted by strangers who consider themselves friends. The 70-year-old who has been at the restaurant for 20 years is fondly called “Taco Bell Joe.”
Tricia Phillippi created a Facebook group to spotlight local restaurants and staff during the pandemic. Members of the group decided to vote for a favorite employee and Decicco won “by a landslide.” The initial gift of $50 soon swelled to thousands.

Joe Decicco
NiftyNotes
NiftyNews will not be published on Friday, December 25 due to the Christmas holiday. NiftyNews will return on Monday, December 28. We hope you and yours have a safe, healthy and happy holiday.
A parting note:
As we prepare to leave the most trying year in recent memory and as we begin to tackle 2021, let us remember the words of Kevin Cusack:
Stay positive. Test negative.

Coronavirus Affecting Your Job Search?
We've added some additional material that we hope can help.
More help for the 50+ job seeker:
The 5 Habits You Need to Adapt For a Successful New Year
Why You Shouldn't Avoid Talking About Your Unemployment While Job Hunting
It’s Unanimous: the Top 10 LinkedIn Profile Headlines From Job-Search Experts
Pass it Along
If you attend networking events and go to jobs clubs, you’ve been meeting other job seekers just like you. Mention the Nifty50s to them and encourage them to visit as well. You’ll be helping them and you’ll make an appreciative friend for yourself.