“Job searching harder for baby boomers” |
| Job searching harder for baby boomers Posted: 05 Feb 2011 08:12 PM PST (CNN) - Baby boomers are having a tough time finding employment because of their age, with 39 percent of men and 18 percent of women aged 51 to 60 less likely to get hired each month than younger job seekers. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has seen a jump in age-related complaints since the start of the recession. However, many boomers are keeping a positive attitude and targeting their job searches. "I'm not looking for a career or to climb up the corporate ladder," job seeker E. Von McCants said. Von McCants is a 27-year-telecom veteran with an MBA, and has been looking for work since July. "If I have to describe how it's going -- well, it's not been very fruitful," she said. She's followed all the advice she's received about networking, resumes and online job searches. "I spend a lot of time looking at jobs you know, looking and saying 'Is this something I really want to do? Do I have the skills that an employer is looking for?'" she said. Baby boomers actually have a lower rate of unemployment than other workers nationwide, but that statistic changes drastically for those who do end up without employment. For those out of work, it is harder to get a new job than it is for anyone else, and the number only climbs the older you get. Job seekers 61 and older are 50 percent less likely to find work each month than their younger counterparts. Glenn Grossman found himself in Von McCants' position about ten years ago. "I actually had no real opportunity. I got very depressed about it. You've got to take, you know, control," he said. Now he's the one hiring. With his background in finance and accounting, he started Dinosaur Securities - pun intended. Grossman said he had people of all ages working from him, from their 20s to their 70s. He believes that ideas, contacts and sales are what count, not age. "It's not about age. It's about working, and you know, just forget about gender, age, anything like that," he said. Recruiters see better days ahead for boomers, which have experience and less job turnover, meaning less hiring costs for employers. Meanwhile, Von McCants continues her search. "It is a new year and I feel like, okay well it's a new year and a lot of new things are going to happen." Copyright 2011 CNN. All rights reserved. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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