While younger Americans embrace a more relaxed and flexible work culture, companies are looking to hire baby boomers and Gen Xers, who they perceive to be harder workers.
Key Details
- Older Americans are a more desirable hire for companies looking for employees who are willing to work hard, TheFutureParty reports.
- While younger workers may be just as ambitious, many companies perceive the older generation’s work ethic as more desirable.
- People 55 and older are amongst the fastest-growing age groups in the workforce, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.
Why it’s news
Company culture is changing, and with it, many younger workers are changing how they work. Trends like quiet quitting and bare minimum Mondays have made some company leaders more skeptical of younger workers’ commitment to the job. Their answer is to hire older workers.
Workers 55 and older are in the fastest-growing workforce group. At the same time, AARP has reported a 122% increase in companies’ promises to hire employees over 50, TheFutureParty reports.
Big names like H&R Block, Bank of America, and Microsoft have made commitments to hire more of these workers.
In addition to these workers offering a desirable work ethic, many executives have started to recognize the need to include different ages in their attempt to increase diversity within their companies.
Businesses’ perception that older workers are willing to work harder may not be far off. A Wall Street Journal survey found that 75% of respondents 65 and older considered work “very important.” In comparison, 61% of 18 to 29-year-olds felt the same. Boomers are statistically more likely to put in the hard work.
However, older workers returning is not necessarily something to celebrate. With the rising cost of living, it is getting more difficult for Americans to stay retired. Worker shortages have also made it necessary in some industries to call in retired workers.
In San Francisco, some retired doctors are returning to the workforce part-time to alleviate the ongoing physician shortage.
