Layoffs, cost of living force some to delay retirement

By ELENA GRIMM - egrimm@daily-chronicle.com

David Diaz, 55 of Genoa, searches for a job in the computer lab at the Illinois Department of Employment Services at 1701 East Lincoln Highway in Dekalb on Friday. Diaz has used the services of IDES and Illinois workNet Center before, but says the two months he has been searching this time around has been the longest wait so far. Beck Diefenbach - bdiefenbach@daily-chronicle.com

Gordon Block is a familiar face at the unemployment center in DeKalb. He works part time at the front desk, but is technically unemployed.

Block is an administrative assistant at the Illinois workNet Center. It’s a temporary job, through a federally funded program that helps older workers get back into the job market.

But there’s something else he’d really rather do.

“I’d like to retire,” the 66-year-old said, half joking and half serious, while taking a break in a conference room at the workNet Center last week.

Block floated among office jobs for most of his life in Oregon and moved to DeKalb because a cousin lived here. Retirement is not an option right now – a reality many older workers are facing as each day brings more bad news on 401(k)s and other investments.

In an October survey, AARP found that if the economy does not significantly improve, more than six of 10 workers age 45 and older say it’s likely they will delay retirement and work longer.

Block is part of a larger share of people 65 and older who are staying in – or returning to – the labor force. Be­­­tween 1977 and 2007, employment of workers 65 and older increased by more than 101 per­cent, from an average of 2.78 million in 1977 to 5.61 million in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of November, there were 6.15 million people older than 65 in the workforce, according to the bureau.

That growth is expected to continue. The number of workers ages 65 and up is predicted to soar by more than 80 percent from 2006-2016, BLS data show. By 2016, workers 65 and older are expected to account for 6.1 percent of the total labor force, up from 3.6 percent in 2006.

After seeing an ad in the newspaper, Block enrolled in the Experience Works Senior Community Service Employment Program, a nonprofit employment assistance program for low-income seniors.

Experience Works SCSEP is funded by the federal Older Americans Act, along with state and local grants.

Another program funded by the Older Americans Act is the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging, which serves nine counties including DeKalb.

Both SCSEP and NIAAA give training and job experience to low-income adults 55 and older. The jobs are temporary, 20 hours a week and pay minimum wage, but are designed as a transition period so seniors can enter the traditional workforce.

Overbooked

As the cost of living rises – and as investments crumble – seniors on fixed incomes are finding the need to get back to work – and soon.

Employment assistance programs are flooded with new applicants and have seen a wider range of seniors seeking work as well.

“We’re over-enrolled right now, and a lot of people are lining up for help,” said Lloyd Pletsch, who coordinates the Experience Works employment and training program in 13 Illinois counties, including DeKalb.

“A lot of people thought maybe they were ready to retire ... and thought, ‘Wait a minute, I need some extra money. I can’t just live on my Social Security,’ " Pletsch said. “Or there was a catastrophic illness that wiped out their savings.”

Janet Williams, an employment specialist at NIAAA, said more younger seniors are seeking work. Many have been laid off from jobs they had planned to retire from.

“When the gas prices were going up, we were getting the 65-and-over range. Now it seems we’re getting more inquiries of the 55-to-65 range,” Williams said.

In all 13 counties that Pletsch coordinates for, there are waiting lists of applicants for the SCSEP program. In DeKalb County, there are 12 seniors enrolled in the program that is structured for seven, and more are waiting for an opening.

Making progress

The whole idea behind NIAAA and SCSEP is to get seniors out of the programs. Throughout their training assignments, enrollees are required to look for work and must show their progress toward that goal, whether it’s registering through online job search sites, attending job fairs or attending training sessions for updating resumes.

One difference between the two programs is that NIAAA places seniors at temporary jobs up to 24 months, whereas SCSEP has no time limit.

Block has been in his temporary assignment at the Illinois workNet Center for two years. Marsha Broude, another office assistant, has been there for 1 1/2 years.

According to the SCSEP Web site, nearly four of 10 program participants found permanent jobs, primarily as teachers’ aides, emergency dispatchers, care providers and clerical assistants.

Along with bringing years of experience from past jobs, seniors have a “tremendous” work ethic, Pletsch said. They take their job seriously and are apt learners.

“Studies have shown they have a better work ethic, they’re more dependable and they actually take less sick days,” Williams said. They grew up learning to “tough it out and work through it.”

Older workers also show a great amount of job satisfaction.

“They’re not looking to advance to the corporate CEO,” said Mary Overbey, the 68-year-old senior services director for DeKalb’s Family Service Agency.

Overbey, a registered nurse, left her previous job intending to cut back on hours. She was approached for the director position because she was an older worker, she said.

Block was a little more skeptical of the idea that the benefits older workers bring to the table translate into getting hired.

“We have a lot of work experience, and we do,” he acknowledged. “Those young people, they’re a dime a dozen. They’ll work for cheap; they don’t need insurance (benefits).”

There can be some hard lessons. Broude, 59, completed her GED at Kishwaukee College in Malta in 1993, after inquiring about stocking shelves in a Wal-Mart pharmacy department and being told she needed a high school diploma.

In 2006, the most current data available, only 0.3 percent of Illinois residents completing their GED were 60 or older, said Kate Storey, a GED counselor at Kishwaukee College.

Broude has also learned that getting her high school equivalency may not be enough. So she’s taken computer courses to be learn a number of software programs.

But even that sometimes isn’t enough: Employers tell her they want 2-3 years of experience.

“How are you going to get the experience if no one will hire you?” she said with exasperation. “I tell them, “All you need to do is hire me. On-the-job training is the best training you can have.”

But she continues to take computer classes because “something may come up,” Broude said. and she called SCSEP a “godsend” because it provides some income.

“It’s really frightening out there,” she said. “People are coming in (to the workNet Center) with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. They can’t find anything.”

Tips for seniors seeking employment

It takes work to look for work. Sometimes looking for work can be harder than working. It's important to network, and word of mouth is good advertising.

Keep your skills sharp. Most employment assistance programs offer free training for things such as computer skills. Use this time to complete high school or college work, and don't be afraid to learn new skills.

Rework your resume. When compiling your resume, focus on the last 15 to 20 years of your career, since that will likely be your most relevant experience. Try a combination resume, which combines chronology and function. This resume style lets you highlight your skills and accomplishments, while providing a brief list of your work experience.

Use all available job resources. This includes online job search sites, like Illinoisskillsmatch.com, RetirementJobs.com and Seniors4Hire.org.

Be flexible. Many jobs are offering phased retirement programs and inviting retirees back to work part time. In addition, telecommuting, job-sharing, flex time and seasonal work are options at an increasing number of places. Don't be afraid to try temporary work, as it can lead to permanent work.

Sources: Experience Works Senior Community Service Employment Program, Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging, RetirementJobs.com, AARP

Know more

For information on Experience Works' Senior Community Service Employment Program, call 815-535-0034 or visit www.experienceworks.org.

For information on Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging, call 815-226-4901 or visit www.nwilaaa.org.