Why Women of Retirement Age Aren’t Retiring

New Directions Career Center exists to empower women to become self-sufficient.  When the Center was founded in 1980 it was to help displaced homemakers enter or re-enter the workforce.  These women had usually been displaced by divorce or death of a spouse, were between the ages of 20 and 40, and had minor children living at home.   The structure of our society has changed considerably in the last 30 years.  Today our typical client is over the age of 40, with many in their 50s and a growing number in their 60s, 70s, and even in their 80s!  Why are women continuing to work past the age previously considered “retirement” age? Several factors are driving this trend.

More women are bearing children later in life, so many of these women still have minor children at home.  In addition, a growing number of women over the age of 50 are raising their grandchildren!  If these women are single OR if the spouse works at a low paying job or is disabled, they may need to work to not only support themselves but minor children.

Today women (as a group) earn 73 cents to the $1.00 earned by men.  The earning disparity was even greater when “seasoned” women started their careers. Many women take time off to deliver and raise children.  These factors result in women not having retirement plans equal to those of men.

Obviously, the economy has taken its toll on retirement plans of both men and women, and many of us may be working longer than we originally intended. Still, there are other factors at play when it comes to older women. The Sloan Center at Boston College took an in-depth look at the reasons older women remain in or return to the work force. The results of their analysis concluded the following:

Older women in the workforce are poorer

According to Boston College research, women were increasingly under-employed compared to men as they aged. In their 20s, underemployment rates were fairly equalized between men and women. By their 50s, the difference of underemployment rates between men and women was nearly 5 percent. According to the Department of Labor, the median weekly earnings for women in 2009 were 20 percent less than the median weekly earnings for men.

Marriage and older working women

In the 1970s, the majority of working women over the age of 65 were single, widowed, or divorced. That number has shifted; by 2007, more than half the women over the age of 65 in the workforce were married. In many cases, these women are supporting an ill or disabled spouse.

The double minority effect

Older women of color have higher unemployment rates than Caucasian women. Hardest hit were women of color living outside of larger metropolitan areas. According to the department of labor, the unemployment rate for all women in 2009 was 8.1 percent. For black women, that rate jumped to 12.4 percent.

How NDCC Helps

In many cases, the women who seek out the services of New Directions Career Center have no choice but to work. These women either lost their spouse or never married, and simply must work to survive. New Directions Career Center assists older women in finding careers that capitalize on their experience, taps into their passions, and provides them with a livable wage. If you are a woman over the age of 50 in need of the skills and resources that will allow you to obtain a job and become self-sufficient, contact New Directions Career Center for more information about how we can help.

New Directions Is partnering with The Women's Leadership Council for an exciting new opportunity

The average unemployment rate, in the United States, is hovering at around nine percent, right now. However, there are pockets of communities throughout the country – including right here in Ohio – where unemployment is 15 percent or higher. For those who are still counted among the employed, many of them are struggling to make ends meet with multiple part-time jobs or even a full-time job making only minimum wage. It can be extremely difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel, when your income is either non-existent or barely enough to pay for very basic needs.

New Directions Career Center has always been dedicated to helping women achieve their potential and attain and maintain economic self-sufficiency by providing the information, resources, and education women need, to become more competitive in the work force.

Are you a woman currently struggling to pay the rent, cover the bills or buy groceries? Are you are working several jobs just to make ends meet? Want to break out of the cycle?

New Directions is proud to partner with The Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) of United Way of Central Ohio, order to offer women a way out. The WLC’s new initiative - E3 - will Educate, Empower and Elevate you to a new level of financial stability.

E3 is a unique program that recognizes that offering women the skills, confidence, and education they need to improve their lives not only helps these women and their families, but helps the entire country as well.

The E3 program provides women (free*):

• Post-high school classes or training that leads to a job with livable wages
• Career and financial counseling
• Connections to community resources that can lower your expenses
• Mentoring and networking with other women in the community
• Child care and transportation assistance (if needed)

To be considered for E3 you must:

• Be between the ages of 18-40+
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Be struggling to meet basic needs
• Have work experience and currently be working or have other means of support
• Be willing to work hard to improve your finances

E3 partners are Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Godman Guild and New Directions Career Center. Recruitment is now underway for the first E3 class. The program will continue for 6-36 months, depending on the path you choose and assistance you need.

For more information on the E3 program, call NDCC at 614-849-0028, and ask to speak to either Cindy Kazalia or Amanda Fox..

*Post-secondary tuition not included.