Here is an excerpt from my Feb. Stay Thirsty column:
“I feel like we’re the throwaway generation,” Mickey O., 56, said about the Baby Boomers’ role in the economy.
Despite faltering gains in the wake of the Great Recession, approximately three million older Americans remain unemployed, and this number, of course, does not capture the millions who have given up on the job search and are no longer counted or the severely underemployed who can barely scrape by or the 60-plus-year-olds who have been driven to claim Social Security benefits earlier than they had planned because they could not find jobs.
When the Great Recession began in mid-2007, fewer than 1.5 million older Americans were out of work. Episodes of joblessness for older workers at the time were typically short-lived. Seniority and years of experience shielded older employees and made them valuable to employers.
Fast-forward to now, the start of 2012. Conditions for older jobseekers are little improved, more than two years after the downturn was declared over in December 2009. The majority of older workers who lose their jobs face at least a one-year struggle to find work. Their job search often turns into a two- or three-year odyssey of financial, familial and personal hardship. Even when they are successful and find work, they generally must accept a lower rate of pay.
We are always questioned about the handful of happy endings for our interviewees: Did any of your project participants find jobs?
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Comments
I am 55 years old and a CPA - I have been trying for 3 years to obtain full time employment in San Diego. I get quite a few interviews and almost always make it to the final round where it's down to me and one other. Then, the other gets the job. The excuse I'm always given is that they were a "better fit". Before this economy if I got the interview, I got the job. Always, every time. I know my skills and experience are top notch, I'm healthy, and well groomed. I did not want to believe it, but it's definitely age discrimination. I fell luckier than most, because I've been able to keep busy at least half the time with contract jobs. I have no health insurance, but because I have some earnings, I keep receiving unemployment benefits when I need it. The problem is, I'm so discouraged and depressed it's very hard to keep trying. I have a feeling this is going to negatively impact my health sooner or later - and then what do I do?
I'm 57 years old and I was fired by my law firm after I developed carpal tunnel and filed a Workers' Compensation claim. I didn't want to file the claim, as I had worked in WC defense for more than 7 years, and I knew what would happen to me if I filed a claim: 1) I would be disciplined for some infraction, 2) I would receive a bad review and 3) I would be fired upon some ginned-up pretext. And yes, it happened exactly that way. It was devastating, and I have begun to believe that I may never be able to find another job. I mean, who wants to hire a 57 year old with carpal tunnel (including a slight work restriction) who was fired from her last job...? I've had a half-dozen interviews, and it was made very clear to me that they wouldn't touch me with a ten-foot pole.
I too am 57 years old and have interveiwed with over 40 companies. All with the attitude my experience and demonstrated results mean nothing today. What blows me away is when asked, why have I been unemployed for so long. This question is usually from someone at least 15 years younger than myself. I have to agree self-esteem is become an issue for me as well. This is not where I expected to be at this stage of my life.
I am 57 yrs old and have been out of work for over 18mos. I've applied to over 40 jobs and for each one a 'thanks but no thanks' type of attitude. It makes me feel like I'm supposed to be disposable or put 'out to pasture' to let all the younger ones take over for what we've started. What is hard is to deal with all the rejections. The self-esteem gets lower and lower for each rejection.