Patricia Reid is not in her 70s, an age when many Americans continue to work. She is not even in her 60s. She is just 57.
But four years after losing her job she cannot, in her darkest moments, escape a nagging thought: she may never work again.
College educated, with a degree in business administration, she is experienced, having worked for two decades as an internal auditor and analyst at Boeing before losing that job.
But that does not seem to matter, not for her and not for a growing number of people in their 50s and 60s who desperately want or need to work to pay for retirement and who are starting to worry that they may be discarded from the work force ”” forever.
I worry about this now I am 50 it worst in the tech industry. I think business skills will be more important for older people. They need to stop expecting the stupids of corporate America and HR charlatans for livelihood and start our own business and hire our own.
Gee, just today on NRP I heard that the recession is “over.” Not for these people. And hasn’t there been talk of delaying Social Security to age 70? I’m getting very close to 60 and am very grateful for my job, even on days when the drive to crazy seems very short.
50 is the new 60.
Both my husband and I were kicked to the curbi n our fifties by our respective companies It is not a happy state of affairs.
“curb in our fifties”
I am in the same position as Ms Reid – in my 50s, and there are no jobs out there. Worse, I have encountered scam artists who pretend to offer jobs- but want a job search fee paid up front (I haven’t fallen for any of these, but I am sure some folks have).
If there are Internet survey sites that pay for taking surveys, I’d like to know where they are.
I got fired at age 40, have not had steady work in nearly 3 years and doubt I will ever again. Them’s the breaks, at least I have T 1:9….
I’m 41 with a MS in e-Business. It’s hard to get hired at even this age in technology…companies want young people. It’s age discrimination… they can tell how old you are by your resume. I am lucky enough to have a job, but my boss treats me like dung because he knows I need it. I should go back to school and get into something more stable… like nursing or something.