As Americans live longer, many are finding they need or want to remain longer in the workforce. When the COVID-19 pandemic transitioned much of the U.S. workforce into temporary or permanent remote employment, many older job seekers were left behind, wanting to compete in the ever-more technology-based job market but often without the requisite skills to do so. The present study evaluated a workforce training program (funded by a Department of Labor demonstration grant) that trained low-income workers over the age of 55 for remote employment. Approximately 60 older adults were trained across three 20-week cohorts. Our data sources included biweekly participant surveys, typing speed and Microsoft Office skill assessments, exit interviews with program “drop-outs,” focus groups, training observations, data from participant applications, and instructor assessments of each participant’s level of “job readiness” at the end of the program. Results revealed that participants had acute financial need for employment, a keen interest in working remotely, and a wide range of employment experiences and past job stability. Many of their career trajectories and workplace needs were affected by COVID-19. Results also showed promising improvements in participants’ technology skills and confidence in their ability to conduct a job search over the course of the program. The need for greater connectivity between participants and employers was identified as an area for improvement for the program. The results of this study contribute to the literature on workforce development by exploring how training programs might better prepare older adults for an increasingly remote job market.
Objectives Connections between social integration and health throughout the lifespan are well-established, including at the neighborhood level and among older adults. Less explored is how pathways between neighborhood social cohesion and well-being may differ by race/ethnicity or by neighborhood disorder. This study investigates whether perceived neighborhood social cohesion is associated with loneliness in adults aged 50 and older, and whether this association is moderated by race/ethnicity or perceived neighborhood disorder. Methods We used pooled cross-sectional data from the 2016 and 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and respondents to the Leave-behind Questionnaire age 50 and older, living in the community (N=10,713). Data were analyzed using multivariate OLS regression. Results Perceived social cohesion was negatively associated with loneliness (B= -0.13, p < .001); however, this effect was strongest among White respondents, and significantly weaker for respondents who were Black (B= 0.02, p < .05), Hispanic (B= 0.03, p < .05), or of another race/ethnicity (B= 0.03, p < .05). Further, neighborhood disorder moderated the association between social cohesion and loneliness (B= 0.02, p < .001), reducing the strength of relationship for those in areas of high disorder. Inclusion of this interaction also attenuated the interaction between neighborhood cohesion and race for Black older adults. Discussion Findings show that neighborhood social cohesion matters for midlife and older adults’ loneliness, but that this relationship varies by race/ethnicity and neighborhood disorder. As such, neighborhood racial/ethnic makeup and both social and objective neighborhood characteristics should be considered when designing interventions to reduce loneliness.
Utilizing the first set of 5-year American Community Survey data available since the United States’ legalization of same-sex marriage in mid-2015, this poster investigates the economic security of older adults (age 50+) in same-sex marriages compared to those in same-sex partnerships who are cohabiting but not married. Viewed through the lens of cumulative disadvantage theory, we consider differences in the economic circumstances of same-sex couples by gender and by geographic location. Findings point to gender differences in economic well-being, but relatively few differences based on marital status. For example, rates of low income are somewhat higher among female couples than among their male counterparts, but marital status differences are not substantial. These findings suggest that the benefits of being married that have long been recognized among older adults may not extend equally to same-sex couples. Findings are discussed with respect to the emerging salience of marriage within the LGBTQ older community, future research opportunities, and important policy implications.
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