Job Search News

Looking for a job at any age can be difficult, but for those older members of the workforce there are specific issues. The recent economic struggle has caused many of these workers to lose jobs that they have held for a long time. According to a recent press release, this area of the population has been hit particularly hard by the rising job losses.

A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of job search engine Careerbuilder.com found that only 28 percent of workers age 55 and older who were laid off during the last 12 months have found new jobs. This is the lowest percentage of all age groups. For example, 71 percent of people between the ages of 25 and 34 that have lost their jobs have been able to find new ones.

Because of the problems of finding new jobs, the survey found that many of these older workers have expanded their job search efforts to include entry level positions and internships. On top of this, many are considering relocating for work and other options that would help them find work. Thankfully, the survey found that many employers are open to the idea.

According to the recent poll, 63 percent of people 55 or older that have been laid off have applied for jobs that below the level they are used to. Another 44 percent reported that they have been informed by employers that they are overqualified for positions that they have applied for.

Since some employers are open to hiring older workers for these positions, this now means that recent college graduates and younger workers are now having to compete with more experienced job seekers.

By polling employers Careerbuilder.com found that 26 percent have had workers who are 50 or older apply for entry level positions. Another 11 percent said that they have been receiving applications for these positions from retirees.

The good news for these workers is that 65 percent of employers reported that they would consider hiring overqualified workers for entry level jobs.

In hopes of landing long term employment, some older workers have begun to apply for internship programs. The survey found that 7 percent of employers have received applications for these often non-paid positions from mature workers. Another 4 percent reported that they have hired older applicants for internships.

The percentage of older workers who reported that they are willing to relocate for a job is somewhat surprising. According to the survey, of the mature workers who have been laid off and are still unemployed, 41 percent said that they would consider moving to another city for work.

Tags: Job Search, jobs

This entry was posted on Friday, July 24th, 2009 at 2:29 pm and is filed under Job Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.