Charities Miss Opportunities to Recruit Older Americans

By Suzanne Perry

More than 10 million healthy older Americans who have no family caregiving responsibilities do not work or volunteer — and nonprofit groups should court them to fill projected employment and volunteer shortages, a new paper published by the Urban Institute's Retirement Project argues.

"Over half of these able seniors are under age 75, and 9 out of 10 have worked before," it says. "And recent surveys indicate that this larger group is interested in both paid work and volunteer opportunities."

The paper, "Are We Taking Full Advantage of Older Adults' Potential?," was written by Sheila R. Zedlewski and Barbara A. Butrica. It analyzes data from the 2004 Health and Retirement Study conducted by the University of Michigan's Survey Research Center.

The essay also reviews a variety of surveys showing that older people have better physical and mental health if they continue to work or volunteer. "Investigations of why engagement improves health and mortality generally point to increased cognitive activity, exposure to stimulating environments, and social interactions," it says.

"Yet, numerous studies show many older adults, especially those in low-income groups, sit out these opportunities," it adds.

Only 15 percent of low-income people age 55 and older work, while 23 percent volunteer at organizations — compared with 46 percent and 37 percent respectively of their higher-income peers, the paper says.

The paper cited a 2007 survey by VolunteerMatch, an online volunteer service, which found that more than half of adults ages 55 and older who did not volunteer indicated they might like to do so in the future. Furthermore, longer careers will generate greater tax revenue and reduce net Social Security payouts. The researchers propose that policy makers provide more money for training programs for low-income older adults and for communications networks that would match older adults to volunteer and paid positions.

The essay is on the Retirement Project's Web site.

Separately, the Conference Board has posted a new online database to provide information about steps employers have taken to recruit and manage older workers. Users of the Mature Workforce Employer-Practices Locator can search for information by employer or by subjects such as flexible work options, phased retirement, or employee retention at http://www.conferenceboard.org/knowledge/knowledgeDB/matureWorkforce.cfm.