[OPLINLIST] Hiring Older Workers Becoming a Trend

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 09:51:14 -0500

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More Help Wanted: Older Workers Please Apply (After years of encouraging
workers to take early retirement as a way to cut jobs, a growing number of
companies are hunting for older workers because they have lower turnover
rates and, in many cases, better work performance. Conventional wisdom has
long held that workers become more costly as they grow older, with more
medical problems and more missed workdays. Overall costs are not much
different based on the age of employees. Training and recruitment costs are
much lower than for younger workers. It all evens out. The turnover rate for
employees 50 and older is one-tenth that of workers under 30. In specialty
retailing stores the annual turnover is 60%, not counting part-time help. If
part-timers and temporary workers are covered, the turnover rate soars to
110 percent. The recruitment efforts for the elderly are reaching a willing
audience, as more older people seek work because they need extra cash and
health benefits and sometimes because they miss having a 9-to-5 routine with
other workers. Recruiting successes reflect economic realities as dwindling
company-subsidized health coverage for retirees and inadequate savings and
pensions force many older people to stay on their jobs or look for other
work. Still, as baby boomers age, many are eager to work for benefits beyond
the paycheck.)

New York Times. Mar. 23, 2005

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/23/business/23older.html?pagewanted=2
<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/23/business/23older.html?pagewanted=2&ei=509
4&en=04378643ea3afb82&hp&ex=1111640400&partner=homepage>
&ei=5094&en=04378643ea3afb82&hp&ex=1111640400&partner=homepage

Ellen Van Valen, 67, a Home Depot manager, says age has little do with the
desire to work: "The older folks seem to catch on a lot quicker."

            In a push to recruit older workers, Home Depot, the hardware
chain, now offers "snowbird specials" - winter work in Florida and summers
in Maine.

            Borders bookstores lure retired teachers to sales jobs with
discounts and the promise of reading and discussion groups. Pitney Bowes,
the business services company, pays tuition for courses in computer
programming as well as spare-time skills like golf and flower arranging.

            After years of encouraging workers to take early retirement as a
way to cut jobs, a growing number of companies are hunting for older workers
because they have lower turnover rates and, in many cases, better work
performance.

Some companies like Wal-Mart are making their pitches at senior centers and
others are sending company brochures to churches and community libraries and
posting their attractions on Web sites.

            AARP, the advocacy group for older people, recently put on its
Web site links to 13 "featured employers" - including MetLife, Pitney Bowes,
Borders, Home Depot, Principal Financial and Walgreens - that are recruiting
older workers with offers of health benefits, training and flexible work
schedules. More than 71,000 people have used the Web site this month to seek
job information.

            At Home Depot, Ed Wright, 71, a retired electrical contractor,
works the early shift from October to May in the electrical products
department at the store in Lake Wales, Fla. Then, when the weather changes,
he heads north and works part time from June to September in the Home Depot
in Tullytown, Pa.

            "I had heard you could do that, so I applied for a job here in
Florida," he said. "It's the best of both worlds." Mr. Wright is not the
only north-south commuter at the Lake Wales store. He said he had colleagues
who went to Maine, Connecticut and Colorado in the summer.

            Cindy Milburn, senior director of staffing at Home Depot, said
the company was looking to older workers to fill a labor shortage a decade
from now. "We wanted to plant seeds early on," she said, to build
relationships with groups like AARP and government agencies that help
people, including military retirees, find jobs.

            Conventional wisdom has long held that workers become more
costly as they grow older, with more medical problems and more missed
workdays. But "overall costs are not much different based on the age of
employees," said Dan Smith, senior vice president for human resources at the
Borders Group. "Training and recruitment costs are much lower than for
younger workers. It all evens out."

            Mr. Smith said nearly 16 percent of Borders's current 32,000
employees were 50 or older, compared with only 6 percent six years ago.

            For one thing, the older workers are much less likely to depart
after a few years. The turnover rate for employees 50 and older was
one-tenth that of workers under 30, according to Mr. Smith. "Costs of
training, recruitment and learning the job routine," he said, "are all much
lower than for younger workers."

            That is no small matter, especially in retailing, where 60
percent annual turnover, not counting part-time help, is the norm for
specialty stores, according to the National Retail Federation, an industry
trade group. If part-timers and temporary workers are covered, the turnover
rate soars to 110 percent. (The group's survey did not cover department
stores and outlet stores.)

            Even with its loyal older people and a low turnover rate by
retailing standards, Home Depot, which has 325,000 employees, hires 160,000
people each year, including part-time and seasonal workers and 20,000 for
new jobs as the company adds stores, Ms. Milburn said.

            Eileen Applebaum, a labor economist at Rutgers University, said
the cost of turnover per worker was $2,335, on average, in a survey of
representative California employers last year conducted by researchers at
Rutgers and U.C.L.A. Simply holding down the turnover rate could mean annual
savings in the millions of dollars for large employers.

            The recruitment efforts for the elderly are reaching a willing
audience, as more older people seek work because they need extra cash and
health benefits and sometimes because they miss having a 9-to-5 routine with
other workers.

            In the 65-to-69 age group, "about one-third of men and almost
one-fourth of women were working in 2004," said Joseph F. Quinn, a labor
economist and dean at Boston College. "Already, there has been a dramatic
change since the mid-1980's in the labor force participation of older
workers."

            The percentage of men in that age group still working rose to 33
percent in 2004 from 27 percent in 1994; the percentage of women in that age
group working rose to 23 percent from 18 percent. According to AARP, almost
one in three workers will be 50 or older within five years.

Larry Gershell, 72, for example, was a marketing executive when he retired
at 65 after 40 years in book publishing. Within a year, he found a full-time
job selling books at a Borders store in Midtown Manhattan.

            "I like books; I like to read; I like to know what's going on,"
he said. "I love talking to mothers. I tell them not to worry about their
kids who read comic books."

            He also likes the relaxed atmosphere. "It's not stressful," he
said. "No pain in the belly anymore. When I got home from my office, my wife
used to say 'you want to kick the dog.' But we didn't have a dog." Now he
takes home $30 worth of free books every month, a benefit he finds
"marvelous, " and he also gets Borders's health benefits.

            At Wal-Mart, which has 220,000 employees 55 and older, store
officials are often sent on recruiting missions to churches, senior centers
and meetings of local AARP chapters, said Sarah Clark, a Wal-Mart
spokeswoman.

            Older workers are still mostly in sales, office work and
management, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by
Jared Bernstein, a labor economist at the Economic Policy Institute.

            But at Pitney Bowes, a manufacturing company that is also big in
business services, almost 1 in 4 employees is over 50.

            The company is "very aware of the demographic trends," said
Bruce Nolop, Pitney's chief financial officer. "It will be very essential to
appeal to the older portion of the work force."

            Terry Dendy, 56, a large-format preparation-press operator, was
recently hired at the company's digital imaging center in Manhattan. Mr.
Dendy said he worried about his age when he looked for work after his former
employer closed. "But I had friends in my age category at Pitney Bowes and
they told me I should apply," he said. "I did, and after that there was no
problem."

            These recruiting successes, of course, also reflect economic
realities as dwindling company-subsidized health coverage for retirees and
inadequate savings and pensions force many older people to stay on their
jobs or look for other work. Still, as baby boomers age, many are eager to
work for benefits beyond the paycheck.

            "They don't want to go fishing; they want to stay sharp," said
Jeanne Benoit, principal director of human resources at the Charles Stark
Draper Laboratory, a military research contractor in Cambridge, Mass., that
creates prototypes for aerospace projects.

            In industries with labor shortages, like nursing, older workers
already have an edge. Nurses, who typically retire at 53, are being
recruited at high rates, said Peter Buerhaus, associate dean of the school
of nursing at Vanderbilt University. "They are probably the fastest-aging
work force in the country."

            In 2002 and 2003, hospitals raised pay scales and hired 130,000
nurses over age 50, which made up more than 70 percent of the 185,000 total
hired in those two years, Mr. Buerhaus said.

            Many of those nurses may well agree with Ellen Van Valen, 67, a
Home Depot manager, who says that age has little do with the desire to work.

            Ms. Van Valen, who is assistant manager for internal operations
at the company's store in Stratford, Conn., supervises a group that includes
five workers in their 60's.

            "The older folks seem to catch on a lot quicker," she said.
"They're used to life in general."

            Ms. Van Valen plans to work full time until she is 75. "Every
day is a learning process," she said. "Hey, I could become a store manager
down the road, but not right now."

Jimmie Epling, Regional Librarian

FIVCO/Big Sandy Regional Office

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

P.O. Box 370, 122 South Main Cross St. 

Louisa, KY 41230-0370

V: 606.638.4797  F:606.638.0586

jimmie.epling@ky.gov <mailto:jimmie.epling@ky.gov> 

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<div class=3DSection1>

More Help Wanted: Older Workers =
Please
Apply (After
years of encouraging workers to take early retirement as a way to cut =
jobs, a
growing number of companies are hunting for older workers because they =
have
lower turnover rates and, in many cases, better work performance. =
Conventional
wisdom has long held that workers become more costly as they grow =
older, with
more medical problems and more missed workdays. Overall costs are not =
much
different based on the age of employees. Training and recruitment costs are much lower than =
for
younger workers. It all evens out. The turnover rate for employees 50 =
and older
is one-tenth that of workers under 30. In specialty retailing stores =
the annual
turnover is 60%, not counting part-time help. If part-timers and =
temporary
workers are covered, the turnover rate soars to 110 percent. The =
recruitment
efforts for the elderly are reaching a willing audience, as more older =
people
seek work because they need extra cash and health benefits and =
sometimes because
they miss having a 9-to-5 routine with other workers. Recruiting =
successes
reflect economic realities as dwindling company-subsidized health =
coverage for
retirees and inadequate savings and pensions force many older people to =
stay on
their jobs or look for other work. Still, as baby boomers age, many are =
eager
to work for benefits beyond the paycheck.)

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>New York Times. </span></font><font
 face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Mar. 23, =
2005</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><a
href=3D"http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/23/business/23older.html?pagewant=
ed=3D2&amp;ei=3D5094&amp;en=3D04378643ea3afb82&amp;hp&amp;ex=3D111164040=
0&amp;partner=3Dhomepage">http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/23/business/23o=
lder.html?pagewanted=3D2&amp;ei=3D5094&amp;en=3D04378643ea3afb82&amp;hp&=
amp;ex=3D1111640400&amp;partner=3Dhomepage</a></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-indent:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Ellen Van Valen, 67, a =
Home Depot
manager, says age has little do with the desire to work: &quot;The =
older folks
seem to catch on a lot quicker.&quot;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; In a push to recruit older workers, Home Depot,
the hardware chain, now offers &quot;snowbird specials&quot; - winter =
work in </span></font><font
  face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Florida</span></font><font
face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-family:Arial'> and summers in =
</span></font><font
  face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Maine</span></font><font
face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-family:Arial'>.</span></font></p>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Borders bookstores lure retired teachers to
sales jobs with discounts and the promise of reading and discussion =
groups.
Pitney Bowes, the business services company, pays tuition for courses =
in
computer programming as well as spare-time skills like golf and flower
arranging.

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; After years of encouraging workers to take early
retirement as a way to cut jobs, a growing number of companies are =
hunting for
older workers because they have lower turnover rates and, in many =
cases, better
work performance.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'text-indent:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Some companies like =
Wal-Mart are
making their pitches at senior centers and others are sending company =
brochures
to churches and community libraries and posting their attractions on =
Web sites.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; AARP, the advocacy group for older people,
recently put on its Web site links to 13 &quot;featured employers&quot; =
-
including MetLife, Pitney Bowes, Borders, Home Depot, Principal =
Financial and Walgreens
- that are recruiting older workers with offers of health benefits, =
training
and flexible work schedules. More than 71,000 people have used the Web =
site
this month to seek job information.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; At Home Depot, Ed Wright, 71, a retired
electrical contractor, works the early shift from October to May in the
electrical products department at the store in </span></font><font =
face=3DArial><span
  style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Lake</span></font><font =
face=3DArial><span
 style=3D'font-family:Arial'> </span></font><font face=3DArial><span
  style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Wales</span></font><font =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-family:Arial'>, </span></font><font face=3DArial><span
  style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Fla.</span></font><font =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-family:Arial'> Then, when the weather changes, he heads =
north and
works part time from June to September in the Home Depot in =
</span></font><font
  face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Tullytown</span></font><font
 face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-family:Arial'>, </span></font><font =
face=3DArial><span
  style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Pa.</span></font></p>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; &quot;I had heard you could do that, so I
applied for a job here in Florida,&quot; he said. &quot;It's the best of =
both
worlds.&quot; Mr. Wright is not the only north-south commuter at the =
Lake Wales store. He said he had colleagues who went =
to Maine, Connecticut and Colorado in the summer.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cindy Milburn, senior director of staffing at
Home Depot, said the company was looking to older workers to fill a =
labor
shortage a decade from now. &quot;We wanted to plant seeds early =
on,&quot; she
said, to build relationships with groups like AARP and government =
agencies that
help people, including military retirees, find jobs.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Conventional wisdom has long held that workers
become more costly as they grow older, with more medical problems and =
more
missed workdays. But &quot;overall costs are not much different based =
on the
age of employees,&quot; said Dan Smith, senior vice president for human
resources at the Borders Group. &quot;Training and recruitment costs are much lower than =
for
younger workers. It all evens out.&quot;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mr. Smith said nearly 16 percent of Borders's
current 32,000 employees were 50 or older, compared with only 6 percent =
six years
ago.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; For one thing, the older workers are much less
likely to depart after a few years. The turnover rate for employees 50 =
and
older was one-tenth that of workers under 30, according to Mr. Smith.
&quot;Costs of training, recruitment and learning the job =
routine,&quot; he
said, &quot;are all much lower than for younger =
workers.&quot;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; That is no small matter, especially in
retailing, where 60 percent annual turnover, not counting part-time =
help, is
the norm for specialty stores, according to the National Retail =
Federation, an
industry trade group. If part-timers and temporary workers are covered, =
the
turnover rate soars to 110 percent. (The group's survey did not cover
department stores and outlet stores.)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even with its loyal older people and a low
turnover rate by retailing standards, Home Depot, which has 325,000 =
employees,
hires 160,000 people each year, including part-time and seasonal =
workers and
20,000 for new jobs as the company adds stores, Ms. Milburn =
said.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eileen Applebaum, a labor economist at =
Rutgers University, said the cost of turnover per worker was =
$2,335, on
average, in a survey of representative California employers last year conducted by =
researchers at Rutgers and U.C.L.A. Simply =
holding down
the turnover rate could mean annual savings in the millions of dollars =
for
large employers.

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; The recruitment efforts for the elderly are
reaching a willing audience, as more older people seek work because =
they need
extra cash and health benefits and sometimes because they miss having a =
9-to-5
routine with other workers.</span></font></p>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the 65-to-69 age group, &quot;about one-third
of men and almost one-fourth of women were working in 2004,&quot; said =
Joseph
F. Quinn, a labor economist and dean at Boston College. &quot;Already, there has been a dramatic =
change
since the mid-1980's in the labor force participation of older =
workers.&quot;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; The percentage of men in that age group still
working rose to 33 percent in 2004 from 27 percent in 1994; the =
percentage of
women in that age group working rose to 23 percent from 18 percent. =
According
to AARP, almost one in three workers will be 50 or older within five =
years.

Larry Gershell, 72, for =
example, was
a marketing executive when he retired at 65 after 40 years in book =
publishing.
Within a year, he found a full-time job selling books at a Borders =
store in
Midtown Manhattan.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; &quot;I like books; I like to read; I like to
know what's going on,&quot; he said. &quot;I love talking to mothers. I =
tell
them not to worry about their kids who read comic =
books.&quot;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; He also likes the relaxed atmosphere. &quot;It's
not stressful,&quot; he said. &quot;No pain in the belly anymore. When =
I got
home from my office, my wife used to say 'you want to kick the dog.' =
But we
didn't have a dog.&quot; Now he takes home $30 worth of free books =
every month,
a benefit he finds &quot;marvelous, &quot; and he also gets Borders's =
health
benefits.

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; At Wal-Mart, which has 220,000 employees 55 and
older, store officials are often sent on recruiting missions to =
churches,
senior centers and meetings of local AARP chapters, said Sarah Clark, a
Wal-Mart spokeswoman.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Older workers are still mostly in sales, office work
and management, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics =
data by
Jared Bernstein, a labor economist at the Economic Policy =
Institute.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; But at Pitney Bowes, a manufacturing company
that is also big in business services, almost 1 in 4 employees is over =
50.</span></font></p>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; The company is &quot;very aware of the
demographic trends,&quot; said Bruce Nolop, Pitney's chief financial =
officer.
&quot;It will be very essential to appeal to the older portion of the =
work
force.&quot;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Terry Dendy, 56, a large-format preparation-press
operator, was recently hired at the company's digital imaging center in =
Manhattan. Mr. Dendy said he =
worried about
his age when he looked for work after his former employer closed. =
&quot;But I
had friends in my age category at Pitney Bowes and they told me I =
should
apply,&quot; he said. &quot;I did, and after that there was no =
problem.&quot;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; These recruiting successes, of course, also
reflect economic realities as dwindling company-subsidized health =
coverage for
retirees and inadequate savings and pensions force many older people to =
stay on
their jobs or look for other work. Still, as baby boomers age, many are =
eager
to work for benefits beyond the paycheck.

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; &quot;They don't want to go fishing; they want
to stay sharp,&quot; said Jeanne Benoit, principal director of human =
resources at
the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, a military research contractor in
Cambridge, Mass., that creates prototypes for aerospace =
projects.</span></font></p>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; In industries with labor shortages, like
nursing, older workers already have an edge. Nurses, who typically =
retire at
53, are being recruited at high rates, said Peter Buerhaus, associate =
dean of
the school of nursing at Vanderbilt University. &quot;They are =
probably the
fastest-aging work force in the country.&quot;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; In 2002 and 2003, hospitals raised pay scales
and hired 130,000 nurses over age 50, which made up more than 70 =
percent of the
185,000 total hired in those two years, Mr. Buerhaus =
said.

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Many of those nurses may well agree with Ellen
Van Valen, 67, a Home Depot manager, who says that age has little do =
with the
desire to work.</span></font></p>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ms. Van Valen, who is assistant manager for
internal operations at the company's store in Stratford, Conn., supervises a group that includes five =
workers in
their 60's.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; &quot;The older folks seem to catch on a lot
quicker,&quot; she said. &quot;They're used to life in =
general.&quot;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ms. Van Valen plans to work full time until she
is 75. &quot;Every day is a learning process,&quot; she said. =
&quot;Hey, I
could become a store manager down the road, but not right =
now.&quot;

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
  font-family:Arial'>Jim</span></font><font face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-family:
 Arial'>mie Epling</span></font><font face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-family:Arial'>,
Regional Librarian</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>FIVCO/Big Sandy Regional Office</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Kentucky Department&nbsp;for Libraries and =
Archives</span></font></p>

P.O. Box 370, 122 South Main Cross =
St.&nbsp;

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
  font-family:Arial'>Louisa</span></font><font face=3DArial><span
 style=3D'font-family:Arial'>, </span></font><font face=3DArial><span
  style=3D'font-family:Arial'>KY</span></font><font face=3DArial><span
 style=3D'font-family:Arial'> </span></font><font face=3DArial><span
  style=3D'font-family:Arial'>41230-0370</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>V: 606.638.4797&nbsp; =
F:606.638.0586</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><a =
href=3D"mailto:jimmie.epling@ky.gov">jimmie.epling@ky.gov</a></span></fo=
nt></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

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