In response to the aging of this country’s workforce and the most serious economic downturn in years, AARP says that it is broadening its online career services for 50+ workers through a new collaboration with RetirementJobs.com. The new service, it adds, will provide mature workers the opportunity to search for full time, part time, and flexible jobs from age-friendly employers, This new online venture (www.aarp.org/jobs) will allow AARP’s some 40 million members to have direct access to RetirementJobs.com’s search tools. Accordingly, as part of this new collaboration, both entities will identify employers that maintain policies, practices, and programs consistent with employment of those 50 and older based solely on their proficiency, qualifications, and contribution. Deborah Russell, AARP’s director of workforce programs, points out that the new collaboration will add “great breadth to AARP’s career site by proving our members opportunities to find job openings and transition into new jobs.” This new collaboration comes on the heels of an AARP economic survey done this past May in which it found that 81 percent of all Americans ages 45 and over say that the economy is in fairly bad, or very bad, condition. It also shows that more than one in four older workers say they postponed plans to retire because of the recent economic downturn and eight in 10 Boomers note that they plan to work into their retirement years. In fact, the survey unearths the fact that those planning to work into their retirement years are primarily doing so to earn needed, additional income, maintain health benefits, or in some cases to remain active and gain personal enrichment. Keep in mind that this all comes at a time when 50+ workers are playing an increasingly important role in the labor force. Actually, 50 and over workers already represent 28 percent of the workforce and projections show that by the year 2016 that figure will jump to 33.5 percent--more than one in three in the labor force. You can get a copy of the survey, “The Economic Slowdown’s Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans,” by going to http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/economy_survey.pdf.
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