The elections are over. President Obama won his second term. Unemployment has increased in Massachusetts over the past few months despite modest gains. What is the real story in Massachusetts? As an observer, I am hearing that many older workers over the age of 45 years old are having a difficult time finding gainful employment. Why is this so? The answer is age discrimination. It is a fact that older workers cost employers more money to hire. For those who may not know, health insurance costs go up when an employer hires an older worker as well as having to pay most of them a competitive higher salary than a younger worker. When one attends workshops at the career centers at the unemployement offices, majority of the attendees are older workers who have been laid off after working for an employer for a long time. Ironically, when many of these workers go for interviews, they are being interviewed by employees twenty years younger than them.
The common responses some of them hear are that "they are not qualifed for the job" when in fact they worked in that field for a long time. Also, some of these older workers have been bullied out of their jobs so their employer can hire younger workers. Unfortunately, it is difficult to prove age discrimination since majority of these cases are not from a protected class.
Some of the jobs that older workers are finding are low paying retail jobs with some health benefits if they are able to afford it. Or finding fee for service jobs in healthcare or commission jobs that take awhile to build up for gainful employment. Furthermore, there is one program that only hires older workers who are income eligible. They work a part-time human service job for one year while collecting benefits. If they are lucky, the employer may hire them if funds are available. I would like to see the statistics on how many of these workers do get hired from this program.
What can be done to increase gainful employment among older workers? Here are some tips:
1) Contact your state or federal representatives to inform them of your difficulties in finding gain employment. Tell them that age discrimination is causing you to not be hired.
2) Attend local support groups and classes in your town such as the Shrewsbury Public Library that can provide you with resources in your job search.
3) Blog about your experiences so politicians can learn about your experiences being unemployed.
4) See a counselor if you need to vent about your frustrations and learn some coping skills to get you through these difficult times.
5) Exercise! Exercise! Exercise!!! The adrenaline rush can help you find creative ways to find work or ideas to network.
6) Network! Network! Network! Attend meetings at the local chamber of commerce in your area.
7)Continue to attend workshops at your local career centers at the unemployment offices. Work with your job counselor to find opportunities and unadvertised positions.
8) Social media outlets such as Linkedin can be helpful though I don't know the statistics on how many people find gainful employment.
9) Remember to take deep breaths when you need a break from your job search. If you can work a part-time job while looking for gainful employment, do so but remember to report your earnings to unemployment.
10) Support the Massachusetts Healthy Workplace Bill H.2310 to prevent and to give workers much added protections in the workplace. Steps have been put in to prevent unnecessary lawsuits
8) Social media outlets such as Linkedin can be helpful though I don't know the statistics on how many people find gainful employment.
9) Remember to take deep breaths when you need a break from your job search. If you can work a part-time job while looking for gainful employment, do so but remember to report your earnings to unemployment.
10) Support the Massachusetts Healthy Workplace Bill H.2310 to prevent and to give workers much added protections in the workplace. Steps have been put in to prevent unnecessary lawsuits
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