There's just a few days left to snag some Marketplace swag at a discount when you... Donate Today! 🎁

More older folks are working, but maybe not their preferred job

Janet Babin Aug 27, 2018
HTML EMBED:
COPY
A job seeker fills out an application at a senior job fair in Palatine, Illinois.  Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images

More older folks are working, but maybe not their preferred job

Janet Babin Aug 27, 2018
A job seeker fills out an application at a senior job fair in Palatine, Illinois.  Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

The unemployment rate continues to hover around historic lows — 3.9 percent as of last month. The tight labor market has been good news for groups that often have a harder time finding jobs, like people 55 and older. Unemployment for them is even lower at 3.1 percent. The number of older Americans in the workforce has been on the rise, and economists have lots of theories why — fewer pensions, changes in Social Security and 401(k)s, or this one: being broke and needing to work. And though more older people are working, some researchers have found that half the jobs they take are low-wage, temporary or gig work. 

Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.