Retails Jobs Available for Older Workers

Suzanna de Baca -- Expert Business Source, 12/10/2008 9:54:00 AM

If you’re looking for part time employees and have overlooked the senior demographic, you may be missing out. Increasingly, seniors are looking for jobs to supplement their income and are proving to be valuable “re-additions” to the workplace.

Even in this waning economy, older workers are actually finding employment, especially in the retail industry.

“For older workers, retail is friendly,” writes Cathie Gandel in a December 2, 2008 AARP Bulletin article entitled “Older Workers Find Jobs—and Satisfaction – in Retail.” Gandel sites a study released in July by the Urban Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Washinton D.C., saying “The report showed that retail employs more people over age 65 than any other industry. That translates into nearly 350,000 men and women working as salespersons or supervisors in the nation’s stores.”

Numerous older Baby Boomers and Seniors are seeking part time jobs for a variety of reasons. Some want to work but don’t want full time jobs. Increasingly, however, many older workers need to employment in order to retirement incomes which may have declined as the markets dropped and prices have risen.

As the economy remains in decline, many retirees or older workers have realized they need to go back to work. Gandel also sites a recent AARP study, “Retirement Security or Insecurity?,” which indicated that “65 percent of workers age 45 and older will delay their retirement” if the economy does not recover soon.

The increasing cost of health care is also leading many seniors back to the workplace. While not all industries offer health care benefits for part time workers, some retail companies do. Even a job with low hourly pay can seem very attractive if health care benefits are offered.

In thier book Reworking Retirement: A Practical Guide for Seniors Retirees Returning to the Workplace, authors Allyn Freeman and Robert Gorman assert we will likely see more retirees pursuing part time jobs in the future. As the Baby Boomer population ages and life expectancies increase, many older Americans will need additional employment after they finish their traditional careers. Part time employment in industries like retail, customer service, or tourism may be ideal choices for seniors seeking flexibility and reduced hours.

If you have not been recruiting seniors for part time positions, you may be missing a priceless segment of the population. Older workers can bring experience, knowledge and wisdom to your workplace and fill the part time positions you need more reliably than their younger counterparts.

Suzanna de Baca is president of Private Capital Solutions Group. Securities offered through Broker Dealer Financial Services Corp. Member FINRA & SIPC. Investment Advisor Representative of Investment Advisors Corp., A Registered Investment Advisor. Material discussed is meant for general illustration and/or informational purposes only and it is not to be construed as tax, legal or investment advice. Although the information has been gathered from sources believed reliable, please note that individual situations can vary, therefore the information should be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice