National Employ Older Workers Week

Each year, National Employ Older Workers Week (NEOWW) is celebrated during the last week of September to raise up the important contributions of older workers in the U.S. workforce. This year’s theme, “Embracing Experience, Empowering Futures,” acknowledges the value and importance of older workers in the workplace.

Goodwill is one of only 19 national nonprofit organizations authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor to administer the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) to assist job seekers who are 55 and older.

Through SCSEP, participants receive paid training in part-time, service-oriented positions in their communities. The program aims to promote community service while helping participants achieve fiscal self-sufficiency. Over the last year, Goodwill’s SCSEP efforts have helped more than 2,800 older adults in local communities. Meanwhile, older adults in the program have contributed nearly 1.2 million hours of service to nonprofit organizations and other entities.

Today, more Americans remain employed longer and retire later than the once-standard age of 65. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of older workers aged 55 and older is growing at a rate that outpaces the overall growth of the labor force.

The BLS projects that 21% of older adults will be in the labor force in 2032, up from 19% in 2022. The evolving shift in demographics within the workforce presents an opportunity for employers to realize the potential and value that employing older workers can hold. SCSEP is just one program at Goodwill that addresses that shift. Goodwill is dedicated to providing older workers with the assistance they need to obtain current, in-demand job skills and training to secure employment today, and we will continue to advocate for funding and policies that allow older workers to continue to succeed in the workplace.