The job search of the older unemployed
By André Bernard
The unemployed age 55 to 64 spent an average of 13 hours per week looking for work. This is similar to the amount of time spent by those age 20 to 34. Moreover, the time spent looking for work does not appear to vary depending on the duration of the unemployment spell.
There are differences in job-search methods between the younger and older unemployed. Older job seekers are less inclined to contact an employer directly and use the Internet, but they are more likely to have mainly looked at job ads.
The older unemployed are not significantly less likely to look for work outside their community. The probability of the unemployed age 55 to 64 looking for work outside their community was 39%, compared with 43% for those 20 to 34.
The older unemployed are more likely to say they would accept a job offer at a lower wage than in their previous job. Among the unemployed age 55 to 64, the probability of being prepared to accept such job offers was 81%, compared with 69% for those 20 to 34.
Most of the older unemployed are pessimistic about their chances of finding an acceptable job in the next three months. Some 58% of the unemployed age 55 to 64 felt that their chances of finding such a job were "not very good," a proportion nearly twice that for the unemployed 20 to 34. The older unemployed who are more pessimistic about their chances of finding an acceptable job are the most likely to believe that better health or being younger would help them most in finding a job.
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