Number of U.S. workers 65 and older doubles

The graying of the American work force is creating new challenges for the nation's employers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of people age 65 and older has doubled in the last 30 years - and that figure does not yet include baby boomers.

By 2030, the population of people 65 and older will increase from 1 in 8 people to 1 in 5, according to "The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Missouri: 2004," a study released by the U.S. Census Bureau last month.

"Because work is part of people's identity, they stay in the work force," said Eric Naegler, owner and president of Senior Recruiters and Assisting Aging Parents in Ozark.

Older workers typically offer experience, good work habits and strong social skills, but they also face the physical changes of aging and, in many cases, issues related to caring for their own elderly parents.

Money is not the motivator for most older workers. Instead, the older worker "has to be interested and feel like they're really being productive in whatever they do," Naegler said.

Age is relative, and so is the definition of "older worker."

"An older worker is somebody that's older than you are," Naegler said. "If you're 37, then 57's an older worker. I'm 63; if 57's working for me, they're a kid. So it's really relative to the work group."

The stereotypes of aging, however, no longer apply.

"Age is not what the baby boomers expected. They saw their parents retire in their 60s or 70s and proceed to act 'old,'" Naegler said.

"Now, President (George H.W.) Bush, at 82 years old, is sky diving. I believe that our journey through age is not what most of us expected it to be."

Finding the perfect fit

While older workers provide a pool of skill and experience, most U.S. employers have not targeted retention and recruiting strategies for those older than 50.

Manpower Research reported in April 2007 that while U.S. employers were struggling to fill jobs, they were ignoring the largest available work force segment - workers 50 and older.

"There's a real contradiction occurring in hiring trends right now," said Melanie Holmes, vice president of corporate affairs-North America, in a news release. "Employers acknowledge that they are having trouble finding qualified candidates to fill open positions, but we are learning that they need help implementing programs that are tailored to older workers."

Naegler's Senior Recruiters placement agency focuses on older workers - a group he describes as a "hard sell."

Older workers often want flexible scheduling to accommodate family and personal pursuits. Those who have fulfilled a specific role in a company for some time may, as they age, prefer to contribute in a completely different way that reduces travel, stress, physical demands, et cetera. These strategies can help retain older workers and the institutional knowledge and skills they represent.

Naegler noted that he has found a unique fit for job-seeking older workers through his Assisting Aging Parents business.

" ... I've started using them in nonmedical elder care to help people who are senior to them stay in their homes," he said. While home health companies charge around $17 an hour for nonmedical services, Naegler can charge $14 an hour and match seniors in need of nonmedical assistance with older workers in an arrangement that he says is pleasing to all parties.

For employers, elder care and aging parents represent a tremendous, and largely unacknowledged, challenge moving forward, Naegler added.

"From an employment standpoint, I've been trying to get the employer community to wake up to the issue of employees dealing with aging parents, and it is a huge issue," he said. "I feel like (somebody who) started talking about alcoholism years and years ago before anyone woke up to what it was costing employers."

Naegler has written a book, "Think Ahead of Disaster," a guide for helping aging parents.

His theory in the book is that people end up in nursing homes because of simple occurrences that didn't need to happen. Something as basic as getting rid of throw rugs can prevent a fall that begins a downward spiral into full-time nursing care. Published by Naegler Ranch Publishing, the book is available for $15.95 at www.naeglerranch.com.[[In-content Ad]]