This Week's Herman Trend Alert Access to Healthcare Information Saves Lives

The Herman Trend Alert September 12, 2001 Older and Wiser: The Resurgence of Older Workers Not so long ago, workers over 45 were afraid to lose their jobs. They were too old, no longer young and energetic, so employers probably wouldn't hire them. By the time they reached the age of 60 or 65, they were expected to retire, to go out to pasture. Their lives were over. Today the picture is much different. Older workers take partial retirement, still earning money from part-time work. Or they postpone retirement to work just a little longer. With the labor shortage, many jobs are available. Employers hire them because they need people and older folks seem to be able to do the job. The labor market is shifting, though the transition has been delayed temporarily by the slowdown in the economy. The transition will move the employment market to actively seek older workers because of their maturity, wisdom, stability, and attitude toward being productive. As the economy heats up again, competition for good workers will intensify, with recruiters becoming increasingly aggressive. Those recruiters will find it more and more difficult to locate young people to fill the open positions. There just won't be enough to fill all those jobs. Gradually, those recruiters will turn to older candidates. Older workers will find themselves in demand, with greater opportunities to make choices about where they will work. Some employers will direct their recruiters specifically to pursue applicants with more years of experience and more attractive attitudes about performance and longevity. By nature and values, those senior people will be more stable and thus will be sought- after by employers tired of the churning of their workforce. The implications of people working significantly longer are fascinating. The expectation that leisure travel will increase dramatically must be modified. The demand on the healthcare system may also be deferred, since those senior citizens will be active mentally and physically. If they're still working, people eligible for Social Security may postpone their withdrawals. Older workers will become a significant force in our economy. Their votes will be influential. Their coaching and mentoring of younger executives will balance enthusiasm with seasoning, producing stronger business results. Comments from our readers: An additional comment on your trend of older Americans staying in the workforce ... Many baby boomers will HAVE to stay in the workforce, because they are ill-prepared for retirement - they have overextended, getting into consumer debt, and many have inadequate retirement savings. Social Security income will not be enough to maintain acceptable lifestyles; therefore, they will continue to work as long as possible. Denise Sellers © Copyright 1998-2008 by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." DON'T GAMBLE WITH YOUR COMPANY'S FUTURE Many jobs have been open for months or even years, because some skilled workers have become impossible to find. Join us in Las Vegas and learn the low- and no-cost solutions to this workforce crisis. Help your company recruit and retain the talent it must have to survive. Recertification credit from HRCI. Next Employee Retention Specialist(TM) Program: September 9-10. Call Carol at 336-282-9370 or visit http://www.employeeretentionspecialist.com. LOOKING FOR A DYNAMIC KEYNOTE SPEAKER TO INSPIRE YOUR PEOPLE? Joyce Gioia (joy-yah) is an inspirational futurist who freely shares her knowledge and expertise about talent engagement and retention with business executives around the globe. Her understandings and insights will inform and fascinate you. For more information, call Carol McKinney at 336-282-9370 or visit the web site at http://www.hermangroup.com/joyce.html for more information on Joyce's calendar and her topics. WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We can offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. We've helped others; let us help you. Call Joyce at 336-210-3548 to schedule a no-obligation conference call. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

[ Home · About · Products · Telebridge · Resources · Media ]

Web site design by WebEditor Design Services, Inc.