Older job seekers will have a chance to meet potential employers who can use their talents and skills during a job fair Oct. 4 in Meridian.
“Older workers offer Idaho businesses a reservoir of experience and ability that can be invaluable to profitability, especially in the challenging times of an economic slowdown,” said Idaho Department of Labor Director Roger B. Madsen.
For the past 10 years, the number of Idaho workers 55 and over has been growing at three times the rate of the work force overall. Older workers played a significant role in the dramatic economic expansion Idaho experienced following the 2001 national recession.
In 2007, workers 55 and older made up 16 percent of Idaho’s labor force, up from less than 11 percent in 1998.
Older workers continue to contribute to improving the bottom line of individual businesses and the economy in general even as activity has slowed since the final months of 2007.
"Hiring older workers simply makes good business sense," Idaho Commission on Aging Administrator Kim Toryanski said.
The job fair comes just a week after National Employ Older Workers Week Sept. 21-27, which also highlights what has until recently been a valuable but untapped resource for the state and nation.
“Idaho employers are increasingly recognizing the value of older workers,” Madsen said. “Over 100,000 older men and women are actively involved in Idaho’s economy, and thousands more add to our quality of life every day by generously volunteering their time and talent.”
In the competition for qualified workers, employers are realizing that the experience and knowledge of an older person can be a tremendous asset. These older Idahoans are eager to work, in part because escalating health care costs, declining pension funds and the responsibilities of caring for either aging parents or grandchildren has put retirement out of their immediate reach.
But in many cases, they are in better health than their parents were at the same age and are simply not ready to retire. And they make their bosses happy. Employers rate older workers high on attention to detail, customer service, judgment, commitment to quality, attendance and punctuality.
“These qualities, coupled with medical, engineering and manufacturing experience and old fashioned employer loyalty make older workers an attractive resource,” Madsen said.
The Mature Workers Job Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Meridian School District Building, 1303 Central Drive. For more information, log onto labor.idaho.gov or call 332-3570 ext. 3545.
Sponsors include the Idaho Department of Labor, the Idaho Commission on Aging, AARP Idaho, Experience Works Inc., Professional-Technical Education Adult Basic Education/GED, the Southwest Idaho Area Agency on Aging, Sage Community Resources and the Idaho State AFL-CIO.