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The 10 Most Common Jobs for Older Workers

June 4, 2008 RSS Feed Print

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The stereotype of the senior citizen working at Borders and Home Depot appears to be true. Retail jobs are the most common occupation for workers 65 or older, according to an Urban Institute analysis to be released later this month.

Almost 7 percent of people still working past age 65 are employed as retail sales persons or their supervisors, the Urban Institute calculated. Among the workforce as a whole, only about 5 percent of people work in retail.

"It's still the case that the most common occupation is somewhat mundane like cashiers, janitors, and secretaries," says Richard Johnson, a principal research associate at the Urban Institute and author of the study. "It's still a minority of the jobs that are exciting new careers."

Here are the jobs most common among seniors, according to the study.

Jobs With the Most Employees Ages 65 and Older
	Occupation	Total 65-and-Older Workers	Share of Workers 65 and Older in the Occupation
1.	Retail salesperson	181,559	3.5%
2.	Farmers and ranchers	177,383	3.4
3.	First-line supervisors/managers of retail salespeople	164,507	3.2
4.	Janitors and building cleaners	146,364	2.8
5.	Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	139,902	2.7
6.	Secretaries and administrative assistants	139,829	2.7
7.	Cashiers	110,508	2.1
8.	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	108,798	2.1
9.	Real estate brokers and sales agents	92,465	1.8
10.	Chief executives	89,720	1.7

Source: Urban Institute calculations, 2008

Jobs With the Highest Percentage of Employees Ages 65 and Older
	Occupation	Share of Workers in Occupation Who Are 65 and Older
1.	Funeral service workers	31.4%
2.	Crossing guards	27.7
3.	Farmers and ranchers	25.7
4.	Models, demonstrators, and product promoters	23.1
5.	Funeral directors	16.3
6.	Tax preparers	14.3
7.	Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers	13.2
8.	Barbers	13.0
9.	Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners	11.6
10.	Clergy	11.4

Source: Urban Institute calculations, 2008

Tags:: retirement,; careers

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I'm 59 Years Old and I have a wealth of Accounting (prefer Payables), Administrative Assistant, Business Office Clerical, Receptionists, Data Entry Experience in me to give Any Company, Corporation, or Organization the Hardest Worker that they've ever come across in Years.
I am very stable, prompt, always on time in every area of work I do or have done.
I seek a (20) Year stable, constant, reliable Position in Any of the Above Mentioned Position(s) with the Most Wonderful Compensation Package for the over (30) plus Work Experience Years of my Life.
I seek to Relocate to Chicago, Illinois (My Hometown) in this 2013 Season Year.
My skills speak for themselves:
v Over ten years of excellent customer service
v Recognized by the city of Chicago for having excellent customer service
v Ability to operate ALL name branch office machines and office equipment which includes: fax, scanner, copier, and printing machines
v Knowledgeable with Microsoft Office Suite
v Alphabetic and numeric filing and editing capabilities
v Maintain a professional, prompt positive attitude
v Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work and (30) years of Accounts Payable/ Business Administrative Office experience.
v Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.
v Over five years’ experience of operating switchboard and Receptionists duties
v Great hand and eye coordination
v Excellent written and verbal communication skills
v Developed ability to work in a fast paced atmosphere
v Ability to follow instructions well and make independent decisions
v Self-motivated and good time management abilities
v Dependable and hardworking individual
v Ability to adapt to changing environment
v Team oriented-able to motivate staff to facilitate work flow and meet operational deadlines
v Successful Director/Daycare Provider of Self-Employed Daycare Center for over fourteen years.
I look forward to getting a boost and wealth of information from you.
I, "Thank You" in advance for the opportunity to submit my question to you.
Sincerely,
Over 50 Year Old Senior Worker with a Wealth of Work Experience that I Believe this Business Industry is Looking For.

Cheryl Kennedy of MO 10:22AM January 04, 2013

I'm 59 Years Old and I have a wealth of Accounting (prefer Payables), Administrative Assistant, Business Office Clerical, Receptionists, Data Entry Experience in me to give Any Company, Corporation, or Organization the Hardest Worker that they've ever come across in Years.
I am very stable, prompt, always on time in every area of work I do or have done.
I seek a (20) Year stable, constant, reliable Position in Any of the Above Mentioned Position(s) with the Most Wonderful Compensation Package for the over (30) plus Work Experience Years of my Life.
I seek to Relocate to Chicago, Illinois (My Hometown) in this 2013 Season Year.
My skills speak for themselves:
v Over ten years of excellent customer service
v Recognized by the city of Chicago for having excellent customer service
v Ability to operate ALL name branch office machines and office equipment which includes: fax, scanner, copier, and printing machines
v Knowledgeable with Microsoft Office Suite
v Alphabetic and numeric filing and editing capabilities
v Maintain a professional, prompt positive attitude
v Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work and (30) years of Accounts Payable/ Business Administrative Office experience.
v Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.
v Over five years’ experience of operating switchboard and Receptionists duties
v Great hand and eye coordination
v Excellent written and verbal communication skills
v Developed ability to work in a fast paced atmosphere
v Ability to follow instructions well and make independent decisions
v Self-motivated and good time management abilities
v Dependable and hardworking individual
v Ability to adapt to changing environment
v Team oriented-able to motivate staff to facilitate work flow and meet operational deadlines
v Successful Director/Daycare Provider of Self-Employed Daycare Center for over fourteen years.
I look forward to getting a boost and wealth of information from you.
I, "Thank You" in advance for the opportunity to submit my question to you.
Sincerely,
Over 50 Year Old Senior Worker with a Wealth of Work Experience that I Believe this Business Industry is Looking For.

Cheryl Kennedy of MO 10:21AM January 04, 2013

life expectancy gets longer and we need to prepare ourselves for the futute. eat good food and keep in good form for the good jobs.

Florence Amanda McLean 4:22PM November 01, 2012

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