For those over 50 and unemployed, the statistics are grim. While unemployment rates for Americans nearing retirement are lower than for young people who are recently out of school, once out of a job, older workers have a much harder time finding work. Over the last year, according to the Labor Department, the average duration of unemployment for older people was 53 weeks, compared with 19 weeks for teenagers.<\/p>\n
There are numerous reasons \u201d\u201d older workers have been hit both by the recession and globalization. They\u2019re more likely to have been laid off from industries that are downsizing, and since their salaries tend to be higher than those of younger workers, they\u2019re attractive targets if layoffs are needed.<\/p>\n
Even as they do all the things they\u2019re told to do \u201d\u201d network, improve those computer skills, find a new passion and turn it into a job \u201d\u201d many struggle with the question of whether their working life as they once knew it is essentially over.<\/p>\n