With the trend of global population aging, the United States is no exception and is facing changes in its labor force structure. However, unlike the traditional concept of elderly people retiring to enjoy their old age, more and more American elderly people choose to continue working after reaching retirement age.

They not only inject new vitality into the social economy, but also add more color to their later life. Behind this phenomenon, there are both economic factors and the pursuit of personal value realization.

Below we will discuss the current situation of elderly re-employment in the United States and recommend several suitable occupations for the elderly.

Current situation of elderly re-employment in the United States

According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 40% of Americans aged 55 and over are still working or actively looking for work.

This proportion is particularly significant in the age groups of 65 to 74 and 75 and over. It is expected that by 2024, the labor force participation rate in these two age groups will increase by more than 10%.

This trend reflects the unabated enthusiasm of American elderly people for work, and also reveals the social and economic demand for elderly labor.

The reasons for the re-employment of the elderly are varied. On the one hand, with the rising cost of living and the shrinking pension, many elderly people need to supplement their income through work to maintain their living standards.

On the other hand, some elderly people choose to continue working because they love their jobs, hope to play a role in a valuable career, or gain satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment in their work. In addition, some elderly people choose to re-employment in order to maintain social connections and avoid loneliness after retirement.

Recommended careers for the elderly

1. Education industry

The education industry is one of the popular areas for re-employment for the elderly. Many women over 62 choose to become primary and secondary school teachers, with a proportion as high as 10.3%, while men are 3%.

The teaching profession not only provides relatively stable income and long vacations, but also allows the elderly to gain a sense of accomplishment in the process of imparting knowledge. In addition, university teachers are also the choice of many elderly people, especially those retired people with high education and rich experience.

It is expected that the number of college teachers will increase by 15% by 2026, which provides more employment opportunities for the elderly.

2. Healthcare industry

The healthcare industry is another area suitable for re-employment for the elderly. With the aging of the population, the demand for healthcare services continues to grow, which provides a broad employment space for the elderly.

Older women are particularly active in the nursing industry, with 5.2%, 4.6% and 2.8% of them engaged in personal care, registered nursing and home health care respectively. Nurses with college degrees have the highest salary, with a full-time annual salary of about $70,000.

In addition, positions such as licensed practical nurses and medical and health service managers are also good choices for the elderly. These positions not only have considerable income, but also have good employment prospects.

3. Office administration work

For those elderly people who like to be lively and unwilling to be lonely, office administration work is a good choice. Many elderly people choose to work full-time or part-time in the office after retirement, especially women, who have a higher proportion of administrative secretaries, assistants, receptionists and information processing.

This type of work generally requires commuting, but there are also many who can work remotely, providing greater flexibility for the elderly.

4. Real estate industry

The real estate industry is also an important area for the re-employment of the elderly. The elderly can choose to become real estate agents, salesmen or real estate or community association administrators.

The median annual income of these positions is $56,730, $45,990 and $58,670 respectively. With the continuous development of the real estate market, the employment prospects of these positions are also very broad.

5. Sales Industry

The sales industry provides a wealth of employment opportunities for the elderly. 3% of the elderly over 62 years old work as salespersons, and 2% work as foremen in retail stores.

Although the median income of these positions is not high, only $23,370, there are also many people working as wholesale or manufacturer sales agents, with a median annual income of $60,340. If it is the sales of technology products, the income will be higher.

6. Transportation Industry

Many seniors over 62 choose to drive to make up for the lack of retirement funds. They can become deliverymen, truck drivers, taxi drivers or bus drivers. Among them, bus drivers have relatively high incomes, with a median annual income of $33,010.

These positions not only provide a stable income for the elderly, but also allow them to maintain social connections at work.

7. Clergy and Child Care Services

Clergy and child care services are also two special areas for the re-employment of the elderly. Many elderly people choose to serve as clergy after retirement, engaging in religious education, counseling and services.

This position not only satisfies the elderly spiritually, but also provides them with a certain income. In addition, elderly women also show a strong interest in child care services. They choose to take care of young children and be responsible for their children's daily life and education.

Although the income is not high, this job allows them to leave their mark on the children's growth period.

8. Management Consulting and Senior Management

Management consulting and senior management are high-end positions suitable for elderly people with rich experience and expertise. Elderly people in management consulting positions can help companies improve management, reduce costs and improve efficiency, and are often sought after by companies in related industries.

The median annual salary is $82,450, and some people have an annual salary of six figures or more. In addition, 1.6% of seniors over 62 were promoted to managers and 1.1% to CEOs of companies. These positions not only allow seniors to achieve new breakthroughs in their careers, but also provide them with generous rewards.

The phenomenon of elderly re-employment reflects society's demand for and respect for the elderly workforce. With the aging of the population and changes in the labor market, more and more elderly people choose to continue working.

They not only contribute to the social economy, but also maximize their personal value. For the elderly, re-employment not only means an increase in income and an improvement in quality of life, but also means maintaining social connections and gaining a sense of personal accomplishment.

Therefore, we should actively encourage and support the re-employment of the elderly and provide them with more employment opportunities and a better working environment.