September 2018 Jobs Report: Good News for American Workers - But What About Baby Boomers?

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Oct. 5, the federal government will release the national unemployment statistics for September, heralding the continuation of the lowest unemployment rates in four decades across all demographics. With the tightest labor market in memory, employers are scrambling to find enough workers to staff their operations, and are responding by lowering hiring requirements to accept employees with criminal backgrounds, drug use history, or a lack of a high school diploma. 

But according to Diane Huth, author of REINVENT YOUR CAREER - Beat Age Discrimination to Land Your Dream Job, employers overlook their most experienced source of trained and vetted talent.  The 32 million baby boomers still in the job market today often struggle to find new jobs or keep their current positions because of just one reason – their age.  And it's not just workers in their 60s and 70s who are feeling the brunt of age discrimination.  Today, workers in their 50s and even in their 40s find themselves edged out of the market by younger, less experienced workers with a fraction of their institutional knowledge and industry contacts, but with strong computer skills and a lower paycheck.

Huth attests that illegal age discrimination is pervasive today, and has focused a spotlight on the crisis in her new book.  In it, she analyzes the reasons employers are hiring younger less experienced workers, and presents detailed strategies to neutralize the effect of age on a candidate's hireability. This step-by-step guide walks the reader through the many shifts in the market, and the detailed steps needed to move from being "overqualified" to "in demand."

Huth states, "Over the past 10 years, we have experienced dynamic shifts in the job market, hiring practices, workplace structure, corporate culture, and much more.  Mature workers who have remained in the same job for many years may not be aware of these shifts, and thus are unprepared for the new reality of the job market.  They find themselves at a disadvantage versus younger colleagues who routinely job hop to increase their pay."

Huth explains that the key reasons employers embrace younger millennials over older workers is their technology skills, and she coaches job seekers to dedicate at least half an hour daily to "Tech Up" to bring their skills up to date. 

She encourages mature workers to embrace a culture of lifelong learning, and actively seek new credentials, certifications, or badges to increase their relevance and hireability. She also counsels older workers to adopt younger personal and professional communication styles and habits which reflect the changed workforce.  And she provides detailed advice on how to erase 10 years off their appearance to fit into a younger more dynamic workplace, among other valuable insight in her best-selling career guide.

Diane Huth, known as The Accidental Career Coach, is a nationally recognized marketing and branding expert and university professor of marketing. She is dedicated to helping her generation overcome this crisis and change the way Corporate America hires, fires and retires its most experienced workers. Her newest book, REINVENT YOUR CAREER – Beat Age Discrimination to Land Your Dream Job, helps baby boomers and mature professionals find and keep meaningful employment as long as they want to work.

Broadcast quality video and radio segments on this topic are available at www.DianeHuth.com/Media.

For more information, contact Diane Huth (210) 601-7852; [email protected]

SOURCE Diane Huth