NYT: "The New Unemployables: Workers Over 50

kevinbgoode

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Mon Sep-20-10 04:58 AM
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NYT: "The New Unemployables: Workers Over 50

Edited on Mon Sep-20-10 05:01 AM by kevinbgoode

This story doesn't surprise me at all - in fact, I'm more surprised that people over 40 haven't been clamoring for stronger rules governing age discrimination in employment. Age discrimination is probably the most difficult case to prove, and for some reason, I've never heard any Democratic candidate (and we already know we'd NEVER hear a Republican) include a plank or a platform addressing this problem.

But what is interesting is that we are seeing a particular age group (and this was the same age group, if I recall correctly, which suffered terribly during the last big recession of the Bush I years). I knew plenty of people at the time who were permanently laid off and who searched a year for employment only to get a job which paid them about half of what they had earned in their previous career. The middle years are supposed to be the PEAK earning years, aren't they? I mean the ones where the mortgage is about paid off, the kids grown and in-or-past college, and workers are able to finally save more for retirement. Instead, the opposite is true. . .

But that does not seem to matter, not for her and not for a growing number of people in their 50s and 60s who desperately want or need to work to pay for retirement and who are starting to worry that they may be discarded from the work force — forever.

Since the economic collapse, there are not enough jobs being created for the population as a whole, much less for those in the twilight of their careers.

Of the 14.9 million unemployed, more than 2.2 million are 55 or older. Nearly half of them have been unemployed six months or longer, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate in the group — 7.3 percent — is at a record, more than double what it was at the beginning of the latest recession.

“There are these fears in the background, and they are suppressed,” said Ms. Reid, who is now selling some of her jewelry and clothes online and is late on some credit card payments. “I have had nightmares about becoming a bag lady,” she said. “It could happen to anyone. So many people are so close to it, and they don’t even realize it.”

Older workers who lose their jobs could pose a policy problem if they lose their ability to be self-sufficient. “That’s what we should be worrying about,” said Carl E. Van Horn, professor of public policy and director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, “what it means to this class of the new unemployables, people who have been cast adrift at a very vulnerable part of their career and their life.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39265116/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times

Now I know their unemployment rate is lower than the overall unemployment rate. . .but then these are also generally people who have worked for decades and now live in fear of forced early retirement. Shouldn't there be better assistance for people in this situation?

Now any DUers in this situation (and I know there are some of us) - don't despair reading this story. I'm of the opinion that the more light shining on this issue, the better chance we have of coming up with more positive assistance and solutions. So keep that chin up and give us ideas about how to lobby to strengthen age discrimination laws or other services! Heck, I get concerned every May about my own contract not being renewed.