Over 50 and Unemployed

Over 50 and Unemployed  maybe change the title to UNEMPLOYMENT AND DISCRIMATION FOR BABYBOOMERS? (Sean, I am thinking of changing my title.  Let me know after you read my paper.

        Consider the people in your life such as close family, distant family,  acquaintances, friends, church members, and semi-friends on Facebook.  Who are the unemployed, under employed and the employed within your circle? Should they be under employed or unemployed, do you know their approximate age?  Are they approaching their 50’s or over 50? Are you aware of how long they may have been under employed or unemployed?   Thus for many people who are gainfully employed, avoidance and ignorance is an issue until an unemployment situation actually hits home.

Looking for a new position while being unemployed is difficult enough.  However when you are of the baby boomer over 50 generation, it becomes even more difficult because of the emotional and intellectual views of a younger generation regarding employing a person of an older generation.  The following has become a key phrase in the job search of the over 50 generation termed : Hitting the Gray Wall. You are over 50 and searching for new employment yet you are experiencing ageism and discrimination.  Although an interviewer or manger cannot come right out and say it because it is illegal, the age discrimination seems to be an unwritten sentiment and worded a little differently, but still expressed nonetheless. (www.over50web.net/have-you-hit-the-gray-wall). Note Dr. B had a hard time finding this….I look up link and redo it.

There is a false view permeated by interviewing managers regarding hiring those over 50.    The concerns and views held by potential employers are that people over 50 are not teachable about new technology, not sharp, set in their ways, does not use social media, technologically inept, only wants to work 9 to 5 and get out because they have other commitments, has very few active working years left and would cost way too much to hire because they are older and more likely to take off of work for sickness.  All of this leads to the belief of age discrimination by the employment seeker.

Being unemployed takes a large toll on both the person seeking employment and any immediate family members. When a worker is unemployed for an extended period of time, such as someone over 50, the financial impact is not only the immediate need to support the family but also extends to their future retirement. Since they cannot make their current budget or pay the bills, how are they going to keep adding to their retirement funds?  Some places of employment add to a retirement with matching contributions, however with being unemployed there is no employer contribution.   In some instances, the unemployed may even have to raid their retirement funds just to survive.