"Work Old Along With Me, The Toughest is Yet to Be": October Job Report Privileges 55-69 Year Olds

Interesting chart from ZeroHedge, a great site for daily doses of economic doomsaying and cold, cold fear.

It shows that nearly 68 percent of jobs added to the U.S. economy in October went to people aged 55-69.

Great news, I suppose, for those of us for whom neither savings, Social Security, nor a nanotech revolution that gives humans ultimate control over matter and energy will be satisfactory retirement survival plans.

Comments

[Clich? Bandit]

daily doses of economic doomsaying and cold, cold fear.

I read that as cold, cold beer. That is usually how I take my economic doomsaying.

[Corning]

nor a nanotech revolution

You sure about that?

http://wattsupwiththat.com/201.....olar-cell/

[Paul.]

Carbon solar cell: oil.

[NeonCat]

[NeonCat]

Stupid HTML!
Less than 1% efficiency? Long, long way to go, then.

[Tman]

Anytime you are feeling remotely positive or optimistic about the future a few minutes perusing Zerohedge will usually erase said feelings.

[NeonCat]

Had to give up ZH for this very reason. Regular news is bad enough.

[Appalachian Australian]

And yet "job discrimination" still protects over-40 workers as a protected class. (Under 40? Nope, legal to discriminate against you.)

My feminist allies would call being an old "privilege".

[LTC(ret) John]

Wal Mart and Meijer hired that many greeters?

[HazelMeade]

You need seasonal labor to play Mr. and Mrs. Santa too.

[mr simple]

Don't forget gift wrapping.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

"Those weights aren't going to move themselves to the attic, grandpa. WELL, YOU WANTED A JOB - DO IT!"

[HazelMeade]

Maybe employers figured out that if they're already on Medicare, they don't have to pay for their health insurance.

[NeonCat]

Maybe employers could take out life insurance policies on their older workers as a way to increase their cash flow. Kind of like Michael Malloy but less obvious.

[Groovus Maximus]

Bingo!

You win a Kewpie Doll.

[John]

I have wondered for a long time why businesses didn't hire old people. I would rather have a retired person who doesn't have small kids to mess with and doesn't need health insurance than a younger person who will constantly be gone to junior's doctors appointment and won't take the job unless I offer health insurance.

[Groovus Maximus]

And there, John, you have just made Pelosi's case for ObamneyCare and Medicare for all.

Single moms.

As for the older folks, that I couldn't tell you. Legit ageism maybe? An irrational bias that you can't teach an old dog new tricks? It's not "fashionable" or "cool" to have old folks wandering around? Hard to say. Old folks also take time off for doctor's appts. too, John. Quite a bit, actually, and that may be factored into hiring decisions.

[John]

I think a lot of it is irrational age bias.

[Gojira]

In retail I know my friend (who's store manager of some fashionable clothing store in the mall) refuses to hire old people simply due to marketing. It doesn't matter how much more reliable they are; 20-somethings aren't going to want to come in and buy their clothes from grandpa.

[John]

If you are running an H&M or Aborcrombie and Fitch sure. But what if you are running a Macys? Or a Lord and Taylor? If I am buying a really high end suit, I don't want to buy it from some 20 something hipster doofus. I want to buy it from some old guy who looks like Q from the James Bond films.

[Gojira]

I want to buy it from some old guy who looks like Q from the James Bond films.

I don't, b/c then God only knows what will happen when I tug on that innocuous string dangling from the sleeve.

[Groovus Maximus]

Well, Jimbo, I can tell this: You were pining away for a scene where some hapless dude's crotch explodes into a bloody sphere of spattering goo?

Don't pull the string. Trust me on this.

[Lord Humungus]

I work with a 69yo who refuses to retire since he can't do it "in style". I keep warning him that at this rate he will be dead and won't have the time to enjoy any retirement.

[Paul.]

I'm not working "in style", I sure as hell don't expect to retire "in style".

[alittlesense]

What if you enjoy your job?

[21044]

You'll be like me and not retire until 1) They force me out or 2) I am not healthy enough.

Even then, I intend to be the grouchy old curmudgeon in the hardware aisle at Home Depot.

I am also divorced and any hope of retiring "in style" went out the door with her. Loosing 80% of ones assets sucks. But, even if I had stayed married, I don;t think retiring would have been on my mind. I actually like working.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I am also divorced and any hope of retiring "in style" went out the door with her. Loosing 80% of ones assets sucks.

Jesus--you don't happen to be a chiropracter who lives in his late brother's Malibu beach house, by chance?

[Anonymous Coward]

Loosing 80% of ones assets sucks.

You actually took that "love, honor, and obey" stuff seriously? Next time, demand a dowry.

[Killazontherun]

Any of this related to the fact boomers are now that age group? I noticed the promotion trend amongst them before I even graduated college.