Is Your Region Effectively Engaging with Older Workers? Six Strategies for Success
Are your state and local workforce strategies ready for one of the biggest labor force shifts in decades? By 2033, one in four American workers will be age 55 or older. Regions that adapt now will gain experienced, reliable talent — while those that don’t risk leaving a growing segment of the workforce behind.
Workforce Insights
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2033, about one in four American workers will be 55 or older. According to the Pew Research Center, adults ages 65 and older are projected to be 8.6% of the labor force (those working and looking for work) in 2032, up from 6.6% in 2022. Older adults are projected to account for 57% of labor force growth over this period. This represents a considerable change from decades past—in 2003, just over 15 percent of U.S. workers were 55 or older. Serving this population in career counseling services and job placement assistance represents unique challenges and wonderful opportunities. The Special Committee on Aging is seeking to ensure that older workers have opportunities to work while still preparing for retirement.
The graphic below illustrates an age breakdown of workers and the labor force growth rate projected into 2026.
Labor Force Metrics
According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers ages 75 and older are the fastest-growing age group in the workforce, having more than quadrupled in size since 1964. Some 9% of adults ages 75 and older are employed today, about twice the share who were working in 1987 (4%). In 2024, about one in five people age 65 and older participated in the labor force by working or looking for work, with 38.3 percent of employed people age 65 and older working part time.
Employment patterns and the composition of the labor force also vary by region and state, and do not always reflect national trends. The graphic below is the most recent regional breakdown available, and it compares employment-to-population ratios by region in The United States.
At the national level, 19.5% of people age 65 and older participated in the labor force in 2024, with 38.3% of employed older adults working part time, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since older Americans are increasingly relying on income from work well beyond their expected retirement age, workers in this age group have become a much larger proportion of all jobseekers, and of those served by public workforce development programs. Further, older workers often enjoy continuing to work either part-time or full-time in order to increase monthly payments received from Social Security upon retirement.
Let’s take a look at some specific trends and projections below from the workforce report.
Trending Info Pulled from the America’s Aging Workforce Report
- Later Retirements. Fewer older workers are transitioning directly from full-time work to full-time retirement. They are transitioning to part-time positions with their current employer or a new one, while others become self-employed. (Remember that many people — no matter their age — do not have enough money to retire (even if they wanted to). In the U.S., it costs $1 million to retire at age 65, yet 21% of Americans have no savings, and 10% have less than $5,000 in savings. According to AARP research, one in five Americans 55 and older have no retirement savings, and 61 percent are worried they won't have enough money to support themselves in retirement. Over half of American households (54%) report having no dedicated retirement savings, according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances. The average retirement age has increased from age 57 in 1991 to 62 in 2024. All this to say, people of every age are motivated to come to work, particularly if employers offer an inclusive, fair, and meaningful experience for older employees. (Source: HBR article )
- Increased Flexibility. 80% of employers say they are supportive of employees who plan to work past the age of 65, but only 39% offer flexible scheduling, and only 31% make it easy to facilitate processes for moving from full-time to part-time roles. Employers can do a better job of offering customized schedules
- Limited Savings. It is estimated that one-third of workers do not have access to a retirement plan at work, and many aging workers have not saved enough for retirement and may continue to work beyond when they intended to retire out of financial need. Looking for an employer who offers a financial savings plan and financial advising services is essential.
WIOA funding and programming is a great resource for training and employment assistance that can be offered in government-funded workforce programs around the country. For example, EDSI offers many workshops that are targeted directly towards or can be of great benefit to the 55+ worker in addition to one-on-one individualized support. Such workshops include: How to Complete an Online Job Application, Computers for Beginners, Navigating Indeed, Navigating PA CareerLink website, LinkedIn and Networking, Modern Interviewing, Writing Effective Cover Letters, and Do’s and Don’ts of Resumes.
In the past, EDSI has partnered with the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on Aging to offer workshops designed to improve the technology skills of the 55+ job seeker, update their resumes, and direct them to job placement assistance. For many, the landscape has changed dramatically since their last job search. If their computer skills are outdated, the challenge of using Internet job search engines or completing online applications can seem overwhelming. In addition to workshops, participants received one-on-one support with tasks such as creating a resume, help writing cover letters, doing mock interviews, and overcoming technological hurdles.
But growth alone doesn’t guarantee opportunity. Many older workers still face significant barriers to employment.
Identifying and Minimizing Barriers
WIOA was specially designed to assist individuals with barriers. We know that workplace barriers can and often do prevent individuals with the opportunity to participate in the workforce. The barriers older workers face must be addressed, especially when it comes to challenges related to training, technology, and age bias.
According to Upjohn.org, American Job Centers (AJCs), the government-sponsored hub for job-search services and workforce training, aren’t always equipped with enough dedicated staff to work with the older population. The increase in virtual-based services can also be a barrier for older workers who are technically challenged.
Age discrimination remains a significant challenge. According to AARP research, about two-thirds (64%) of workers age 50-plus have reported seeing or experiencing age discrimination in the workplace, with 22% feeling like they are being pushed out of their job because of their age. Of those who have seen or experienced it, 91% believe age discrimination toward older workers is common. Between 2022 and 2023, charges of age discrimination received by the EEOC rose from 11,500 to 14,144, an increase of almost 23%. In 2024, the agency received 16,223 complaints of age discrimination, nearly 2,000 more than the previous year.
The following barriers are among the main challenges facing an aging workforce:
- Age discrimination
- Inadequate training opportunities
- Lack of hard or soft skills, especially technology
- Working while managing health conditions and disabilities
- Balancing caregiving responsibilities with work
- Preparing financially for retirement
The goal of any workforce provider is to identify and provide access to training services that lead to sustainable employment, so how can we minimize the barriers of the 55+ demographic in the areas of career preparation, training and placement?
When it comes to helping older adults put their best foot forward in their career journey, there are many ways to provide support, including offering individualized help beyond the standard information-gathering assessments and intake process.
Enhancing older workers’ employment prospects starts with two steps, illustrated in the graphic below.
Support Barrier Remediation Methods:
- Barrier Breaker # 1 – Provide a thorough skills assessment to match personality and skill-set to optimal work opportunity
- Barrier Breaker # 2 – Offer Career Counseling/Mentoring/Job Matching services that provide next-level support throughout the job search process
- Barrier Breaker # 3 – Provide Assistance in obtaining paid on-the-job training opportunities and government-funded training programs
- Barrier Breaker # 4 – Securing resources that negate barriers to the 55+ worker such as transportation, professional clothing, and financial counseling
With barriers reduced or eliminated, serving the 55+ demographic becomes easier and more effective. Employers who are willing to hire and retain older workers can help them improve and retain valuable skills, address workforce shortages, and increase workplace diversity, which all contribute to improved program outcomes.
Benefits of Hiring 55+ Workers
The benefits of working with older workers are numerous. For example, older workers are more likely than younger workers to show up to work, are more values-driven, have more advanced communication and people skills, show stronger leadership, and often have stronger professional and client networks. Older workers can serve as mentors and share their experiences with younger workers, helping to bridge the generational gap.
Does your LWDB offer older workers access to relevant skills development and training services? Many older workers lack information on exactly what kind of skills would be most beneficial and how to access them. The 55+ demographic often needs help improving their professional skills and/or learning new ones to meet the needs of current jobs. Older worker skill deficiencies have created barriers to employment that often lead to longer periods of unemployment (referred to as “long-term unemployed” (26 weeks or longer).
Now it's time to dive into some success strategies to help serve older workers.
6 Strategies for Successfully Serving Older Workers
- Empathize with the needs and perspective of the 55+ worker
- Actively listen to correctly identify each job seeker’s individual needs
- Customize service recommendations based on each 55+ job seeker’s needs
- Recommend workshops and one-on-one support based as needed
- Direct 55+ job seekers to additional resources that can help overcome challenges they may be facing
- Consider connecting job seekers to On-the-Job Training (OJT) opportunities with local employers to help older workers obtain new and improve existing skills.
Note: Many LWDBs like the Northwest Philadelphia CareerLink offer 55+ workers temporary employment assisting other 55+ workers overcome technology challenges such as completing online job applications and basic computer operation.