9 Things to Know About the Job Market of the Future

Yes thee is age discrimination, First this is not the first generation that has had to combat Age discrimination or skill obsolescence. But it is the first who have has as much difficulty in effective retraining. After WW2 many educated people found themselves unemployable as the technology changed. That generation had the GI bill and a growing economy as well as ability to move to where the jobs were. The banks at that time were more customer friendly as they depended on the deposits for their profit not investors. Joe could sell that farm and move to the city. The cost of living in real terms was much lower (and the value of the dollar much higher). There were many "stop gap" jobs in manufacturing, government,That needed people to fill the openings.

Today,those jobs do not exist. There is a high cost to retrain for positions that may not be there because the technology is moving so fast. In many states the state government is concerned with keeping it's population there and will not retrain for jobs that do not exist or are low hiring in their state. Worse the education is certificate and degree orientated rather than salable skill set training. The training many need are specific courses related to now employment. That certificate with all the "extras" is worthless when the next technology tsunami wave washes the position out of date.

Then there is the ability to learn new communications and technology (and to be able to afford them! Texting,Twitter,Myspace, new social networks of people who may have never met yet communicate with others all over the world sharing ideas ans experiences that only a decade ago were the stuff of science fiction. There are many international "chat rooms" that allow for world wide communication by voice and video that to granpa's day was the stuff of the "Flash Gorden" serials at he movie that cost a whole nickle!!

Social Discrimination via Political Correctness has reduced many of the employment possibilities of the over 40 set. Employers worry about dating among their employees as well as the usual office politics. Communication by texting is common in Gen y but Joe is 40 will he fit?

How do we fix this? First the tax code to encourage investment in small businesses to avoid high rate taxes. (it worked in the 70's) Second health care which is crippling our workforce and new job creation including job retention. Third rebuild social security-retirement plan that everyone is enrolled in combining the benefits of social security and a retirement plan with hands off so congress cannot touch that funding including the self employed: the housewife/husband! These bring peace of mind back to the public sector. High speed internet (the US has some of the slowest speeds) which allow a worked to be in Alaska working for a company in Georgia. These mean great social and economic change for a better tomorrow.

Rio VonWolf of CO 1:19PM July 23, 2009

I am a school teacher with a special education certificate who decided to go back to school for a master's degree. I interviewed at one school with preschool children with autism and was asked "Do you think you could keep up with a three year old? What would you do if he knocked a bookcase over?" At another school I was asked by two women in their early to mid 20's if I would have trouble taking instruction from people "who were younger than I am?" I am only 42, I don't think that my age should be their main concern. I have seen women in my industry in their 60's outwork and outshine people one-third their age!!! But how do you prove it, and is it really worth it to even try? Short of taking an audio recorder into an interview, it becomes "he said, she said" or your word against mine. You become known as the disgruntled worker who is just angry that she wasn't hired. Knowledge, experience, and wisdom, all come with age....you can't get them from just sitting in a lecture hall, when did they become less valuable than youth?

I am also in agreement with the person who said that employers hire younger workers because they come with a lower salary. I am well aware of intances where people who were up for tenure were let go so that the school system would be able to hire a revent graduate at a lower salary, with no reason necessary for the termination.

Hopefully things will improve soon.

Susan of NJ 12:02PM July 23, 2009

I don't think this article says much new. Its more a rehas of what we already know, so how is it enlightening about the future?

Mott the Hoople of ID 4:14AM July 23, 2009

I was laid off due to age discrimination, also. We were advised to take early retirement or get laid off. I am only 56 years old and yet I look and present myself as a 45 year old. I was a key producer in my area, but I was told that benefits had become too expensive and they had to cut the insurance costs while letting as few people go as possible. Most of my friends of my age group, also got laid off in all areas of the marketplace. Employers do not want to have the older, more experienced employees.

These same businesses are having difficulty solving the problems only our experience and years could have accomplished. The company I worked for is very large, but their production has come to a standstill. The younger employees are unhappy because they no longer have experienced leadership or a knowledge base to pull from when they are confronted with difficult problems. The Accounting major CEO's need to go back to school and learn what is necessary to keep innovation alive in their companies.

LJ of TX 10:16AM July 20, 2009