More money and a sense of fulfillment are bringing them out of retirement.
By DAN FINK
Daily Record staff
Betty Kurtz retired from Mercury Electronics in July. She soon realized that life after work wasn't quite what it was cracked up to be.
"I found that living on Social Security is so tight that I needed extra money," said Kurtz, a 70-year-old from Dover Township.
That's why you can find her at the Wal-Mart on East Market Street in Springettsbury Township. She works there full time as a greeter.
It's retail, so the money isn't great. But she likes the benefits: the health insurance coverage, the company stock.
It's a familiar story to job market analysts. The booming economy and the scarcity of workers in the 18-54 age range means employers have slowly started including older workers in their hiring pools.
In 1986, about 14,900 people aged 55 and older worked alongside younger generations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number had risen to about 15,900 in 1996 and is expected to rise even more sharply going into the next century. The bureau estimated there will be 22,900 older workers by 2006. That's a projected increase of 44 percent in 10 years.
Once again, aging Baby Boomers are driving the trend. Several recently released studies show people's attitudes about retirement are changing, according to Ric
Larisch, chief of the Labor Department's Division of Older Worker Programs.
Retirement isn't just about moving to Arizona for non-stop golf. People want to do something that offers more challenge or makes them feel more useful or productive, Larisch said.
And with health care costs still rising and the future of Social Security still being debated, having a little extra money offers peace of mind.
Wal-Mart and other service employers have been the first to bring in older workers in significant numbers. Lower-paying retail jobs tend to have the highest turnover.
"You can bring in somebody who has some experience and put them into a management position,'' Larisch said. "You don't need to invest as much in terms of training. Maybe a lot of their fringe benefits - insurance and so forth - are already taken care of."
John Dillon, manager at the East York Wal-Mart, came from another business environment --Cash and Carry, a Florida supermarket chain - that didn't hire many older workers.
Wal-Mart proved to be a little bit of a culture shock for Dillon.
The retail giant touts senior associates as its "secret weapon" in its corporate press materials.
"Store managers are encouraged to recruit from senior citizen groups, local AARP chapters and churches," a release stated.
They work as greeters, cashiers, stockers and price checkers. Many are managers.
Dillon is a believer now. "Most of them ' their work ethic is stronger. They're conscientious. They're considerate," Dillon said. "They see things that need to be done and do them without being told. They train me in many ways."
Sometimes, an older employee might need a chair, extra breaks or another accommodation for their age or a health problem, Dillon said. But the adjustments have been minimal, for the most part.
"Ten years ago, I would have said it was a problem," he said.
"I wouldn't have wanted to deal with it, But you learn that they're valuable. With the workforce the way it is, we needed to hire them, or we wouldn't have made it through the crunch."
Betty Kurtz was glad for the opportunity. And she has no plans to give it up anytime soon.
"I'll work until I can't do it anymore," she said.
5 LIFESCAPE YORK DAILY RECORD DECEMBER 1999