Are you too young to retire (or not financially able) but getting the message you are too old to hire? I am organizing older workers (55+) who are unemployed or underemployed (having difficulty finding work or obtaining jobs that reflect their backgrounds and experience). I am particularly interested in identifying college educated workers who earned higher salaries ($75,000+ -"former" middle class or hanging by a thread), but am happy to hear the stories of any older workers who are struggling to find adequate employment.

I am an older worker who has been unemployed/underemployed for over 4 years. I apply for jobs daily but have had no job offers. I've had some contract jobs with no benefits, but nothing that adequately reflects my background and skills or comes close to a decent salary. I have depleted my savings and spent my retirement to stay afloat. I AM NOT ALONE. STATISTICS AND THE MEDIA SHOW THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OLDER WORKERS IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT, MANY HAVE GIVEN UP. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.

State and federal employment and retraining resources are of little help, primarily targeting low-income seniors or those already retired, with a focus on vocational training or certificate programs. I found nothing that targeted workers with one or more college degrees or those who seek to re-enter the workforce in positions that reflect substantial background in a field or years of experience. Without adequate paying jobs, our lifestyles, dreams of retirement and security for old age are gone.

My friend in this endeavor, a human resources professional, and I wrote to the Senate Special Committee on Aging at the beginning of this month, but, so far, have had no response. We also copied the White House, AARP and the Secretary of Labor. (I will share excerpts from the letter in a future blog.) I was also featured, along with six other older unemployed workers, in the online edition of CNN Money about this issue.
(http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/26/news/economy/over-50-unemployables/index.html)
(http://money.cnn.com/gallery/news/economy/2013/02/26/too-old-hired/index.html)

We are one of this economy's greatest causalities because there is no time to for us to recover. Even with healthy employment, many of us will have to work well into our 70s and beyond. We cannot continue to suffer in silence or pursue solutions as individuals. WE NEED TO FIND EACH OTHER AND WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE CHANGES. We need jobs that can sustain us and reflect our backgrounds and abilities. I have a few ideas about how to help and I'm sure many of you do as well.

Alone, we have no voice or power. Together we can draw attention to this issue, advocate for change and ensure that older workers are hired or retrained for good jobs. SO IF YOU ARE AN OLDER WORKER WHO IS UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMEPLOYED AND FEEL YOUR AGE HAS BEEN A FACTOR, PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY AND/OR CONTACT ME AT greatjobsover55@gmail.com.

Thank you, I look forward to hearing from you and working to get great jobs for workers over 55.