Employers who look at applicants aged 65-plus and think they see low energy or ill health should look again.

According to Kathi Brown, AARP knowledge-management specialist, elderly workers are more likely than their younger counterparts to feel a strong connection to their company and coworkers, and they genuinely enjoy interactions with colleagues and customers enough to be more likely to show up for work. Having a job "gives them a reason to get out of bed in the morning," she says.

But "older older" worker ambitions and workplace reality aren't always the same. Many employers have been slow to adopt flexible scheduling and innovations like job sharing that would be ideal for older workers. And some fields, like retail, take a toll with physical demands.

While the "older older" population is willing -- even eager -- to work, employers do not always fling doors open for them. "It's still difficult at 65-plus to find work," says Sara Rix, AARP senior policy advisor. "Not many people are finding jobs. It's more the case that people who have jobs are staying in them. There's a relatively low percentage of workers 65 and over who have been in their current job two years or less. Age discrimination is still a problem."

Work Wanted: Part-Time with Flexible Hours

A 2004 AARP report quoted older worker surveys and public opinion polls that show that up to 80 percent of workers expect to work at least part-time in retirement. Many say they'll work out of necessity, but others plan to keep going for the pleasure having a job brings them. And a 2002 study conducted by Roper ASW for the AARP found that workers age 65 to 74 were interested in flexible scheduling, part-time work and telecommuting. They would be good candidates for consulting, retail sales and customer-service jobs.

In other surveys, workers nearing retirement age and thinking about changing careers expressed interest in teaching and classroom aide jobs. That's good news for schools, which face staffing shortages in science, math and foreign languages.

In April 2001, a RAND Corporation study entitled "Elderly Labor Supply: Work or Play?" showed that workers 65 and older were healthier, better educated and more affluent than their nonworking peers. However, those workers were still earning relatively low wages, suggesting they sacrificed pay for flexible hours. This correlates with AARP's 2003 findings, indicating many workers between the ages of 50 and 70 would be willing to take jobs in areas such as landscaping/grounds keeping, cashiering, computer support and secretarial as well as those mentioned above.

Healthcare Opportunities

Healthcare is one field that's actively trying to attract "older older" workers. Faced with a critical labor shortage, hospitals and medical centers have responded by adjusting hours, creating part-time positions and even offering prorated benefits.

It's a smart move, says Rix. "The labor force is growing more slowly these days,” she explains. “We don't have that endless supply of people entering the workforce. People 55 and over will be a big pool over the next decade or so.”

AARP's Program for Older Career Changers

AARP's Senior Community Service Employment Program has identified an opportunity to work with older career changers. The group works with staffing companies like Kelly Services to provide adjunct faculty to colleges and substitute teachers in 42 states, says Emily Allen, assistant national director.

AARP has also partnered with Home Depot. "They knew they had a worker shortage, but they didn't have a pipeline to this demographic," Allen says. "They needed to let older workers know they valued their experience, in whatever field it was."