Goodwill® Joins Effort to Hire Seniors During National Employ Older Workers Week

 U.S. Department of Labor and partner organizations lead effort to help older Americans find jobs

Rockville, MD — One of the most sizable demographic shifts occurring in the American workforce right now involves the age of employees. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, it is estimated that by the year 2020, workers 55 and over will make up 25 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force, up from 13 percent in 2000. The number of workers over the age of 65 has also risen sharply in recent years, as more older Americans find that they want and need to continue working.
Recognizing that older workers play a valuable role for many companies, Goodwill is proud to commemorate National Employ Older Workers Week, slated for September 21­–27, 2014, and encourages others in the community to join as well. Goodwill helps people of all ages and stages of life to find fulfillment through the power of work, and recognizes that seniors are an important part of this equation.
As a sizable employer of seniors, Goodwill is also very proud to participate in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which provides on-the-job skills training to individuals 55 or older who have limited financial resources. Since its inception, SCSEP has helped more than 1 million older Americans enter the workforce. Goodwill has served 7,400 individuals through the program and has helped nearly 2,000 people find employment.
“At Goodwill, we understand that many seniors both want and need to continue working,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “We are proud to employ many older workers ourselves, and eager to continue working with other local employers in order to help them understand the benefits of hiring older workers.”
Although pervasive stereotypes indicate that employers are hesitant to hire older workers, in reality, employers rate older workers high on characteristics such as judgment, commitment to quality, attendance and punctuality. Held annually during the last full week of September, National Employ Older Workers Week showcases SCSEP and aims to increase awareness of this labor segment and develop innovative strategies to tap it.
About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with a presence in 14 other countries. Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,000 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com®. Goodwill also builds revenue and creates jobs by contracting with businesses and government agencies to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2013, more than 9.8 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill’s career services. Goodwill channels 83 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services.
To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at https://www.goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.