According to research from the AARP Public Policy Institute, unemployed job-seekers aged 55 and older remain out of work longer than their younger counterparts, the Boston Globe reports.
The figures, taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, found that it took older unemployed people an average of 44 weeks to land a new job, compared to roughly 34 weeks for the younger crowd.
Because such a large percentage of the long-term unemployed are over 55, the demographic is now being labeled by some as the "new unemployable," the news source notes.
"Sometimes people think they aren't energetic enough, or not flexible enough," Pat Roberts, director of Marblehead, Massachusetts' Council on Aging, told the media outlet. Yet she notes that older citizens have "a strong work ethic, get the job done, don't waste time and are very reliable."
Older employees' opinion of temporary workers also carries a lot of weight, according to the Arizona Republic. Managers sometimes ask veteran employees their thoughts on a new temp worker, and negative feedback may be enough to result in the manager letting the temp go. Thus, the news source recommends that temps earn the trust of older co-workers.
