WASHINGTON, March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
The latest job statistics
show a grim outlook for the nation's mature workers, but an initiative from the
National Council on Aging (NCOA) aims to improve older adults' likelihood of
securing training, jobs, and financial support.
The Bureau of Labor statistics
latest figures indicate that 5.8% of workers aged 55+ were jobless and actively
seeking employment in February. While this figure is lower than the national
average of 7.7%, unemployed mature workers are more likely to be out of work
longer than their younger counterparts. In 2012,adults aged 55-64, on average,
were unemployed for 54.6 weeks, compared to 36.4 weeks for workers aged
25-34.
"Being age 55-64 and
out of work is particularly difficult, because you're unable to tap into the
traditional safety net programs like Medicare and Social Security," said
Nora Dowd Eisenhower, senior vice president of economic security at NCOA.
"But jobs still matter for this population. With years of life still ahead
of them, mature workers need opportunities now for training or retraining that
leverage their experience and give them marketable job skills."
NCOA, with support from the
Bank of America Charitable Foundation, is piloting one solution. Over the next
year, NCOA will partner with agencies in
New Jersey, New York, San Francisco, and Virginia to help hundreds of low-income, older adults
obtain work skills training along with services and benefits that maximize
their budgets and help them get out of debt.
Also, supported by the Bank
of America Charitable Foundation, thousands more mature workers will benefit
from JobSource, a soon to be launched website that will help older adults
assess their job skills, conduct a job search, and find job training online.
"As high unemployment
rates continue to hurt the economic health of communities large and small
across the U.S., older adults have been
impacted for longer durations in conjunction with reduced social safety
nets," said Kerry Sullivan, president
of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. "Connecting these mature workers
with opportunities that help them secure training, jobs and financial support plays an important
role in our broader efforts to connect individuals with meaningful employment
that ultimately strengthens local economies."
About NCOA
The National Council on
Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington,DC. NCOA is a national voice
for millions of older adults-especially those who are vulnerable and
disadvantaged-and the community organizations that serve them. It brings
together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government to develop
creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA
works with thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find
jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently, and remain active
in their communities. For more information, please visit:
About Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Bank of America's commitment
to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic part of doing business
globally. Our CSR efforts guide how we operate in a socially, economically,
financially and environmentally responsible way around the world, to deliver
for shareholders, customers, clients and employees.
Our goal is to help create
economically vibrant regions and communities through lending, investing and
giving. By partnering with our stakeholders, we create value that empowers
individuals and communities to thrive and contributes to the long-term success
of our business. We have several core areas of focus for our CSR, including
responsible business practices; environmental sustainability; strengthening
local communities with a focus on housing, hunger and jobs;investing in global
leadership development; and engaging through arts andculture. As part of these
efforts, employee volunteers across the company contribute their time, passion
and expertise to address issues in communities where they live and work.
Learn more at:
and follow us on Twitter at
@BofA_Community
SOURCE: National Council on
Aging
Paul DelPonte, Interim
Director, Marketing & Communications, +1-202-609-6930,paul.delponte@ncoa.org
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