Older Workers

As the Baby Boom generation ages, people over 50 will become a greater and greater percentage of the workforce. More workers will reach retirement age with fewer younger workers to take their place.

Many industries in King County--such as education, health care and manufacturing--are already experiencing difficulty in filling positions as workers retire.

At the same time, workers over 50 are not all planning to retire. Employers will need to attract and retain these workers, who have different needs and goals.

The WDC is in the forefront of addressing these workforce issues.

WDC Mature Worker Initiatives

• Read the WDC's April 2006 report on The Aging Workforce.

• Visit Employ Experience.com, the WDC's website to help employers attract and retain older workers.

• The WDC sponsors the Mature Workers Alliance, a coalition of agencies offering services to older workers.

• The WDC participated in forming Next Chapter of Puget Sound, a nonprofit focusing on civic engagement, employment, lifelong learning and self-development for people over 50.

• WorkSource Auburn Affilate offers a regular job-search workshop for older workers. To find the date and time, go to the WorkSource website. Under Workshop Search at the top right, enter Auburn as the location and "job search" as the workshop category.

• The WDC, WorkSource and MWA hold two job fairs each year for older workers. The most recent fair (January 2008) had 12 employers, 8 resource booths and 360 jobseekers.

• All WorkSource sites offer workshops, job clubs and hiring events for jobseekers. Visit Jobseeker Services on the WorkSource website for information.