By Eduardo Miranda Strobel / Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State NewsLab-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

Adults 55 and older compose 23% of Ohio's workforce, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

This population will peak between now and 2030, said Kelly Fuller, senior vice president of the Columbus Chamber Foundation.

"The number of older workers are increasing in Ohio," Fuller said. "In fact, when you look at Ohio compared to other states across the nation, we skew a bit higher."

Older workers benefit the state in several ways, said Jamie Carmichael, chief program officer of the Ohio Department of Aging. They contribute expertise gained over years of life and labor. They have developed qualities like patience, a strong work ethic and a high level of motivation driven by personal achievement.

"Employers in Ohio really do have an opportunity to leverage those strengths together to support their business goals," Carmichael said. "So older adults, that baby boomer generation, is really known for valuing hard work. They work well with leaders who are coaches. They have really strong interpersonal skills and value that interpersonal communication."

Carmichael said there are myths regarding older adults in the workforce that can harm their employment. She said that a misconception is, for example, that older workers are frequently sick and less productive, but in reality, they use fewer sick days than their younger counterparts.

"There's a number of, I think, misconceptions that we're working here at [the Ohio Department of Aging] to help people overcome," she said.

Fuller said employers may need to consider creating accommodation policies to address how aging affects people's bodies differently. She said they could adapt a job done standing to be done seated through part of it or an on-site position to be done remotely or hybrid.

"A lot of older workers are looking for very much the same thing all-age workers are looking for, which is that flexibility in the workforce, in the workplace, which we saw really go into overdrive from 2020 to the present time, where regardless of what age we are, that flexibility is really important because it allows us to maintain a good life-work balance," Fuller said.

As retirement-age Ohioans choose to return or continue to work, some resources can help them adapt.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides paid training to Ohioans 55 and older who want to return to the workforce, said LaTasha Johnson, the Youngstown regional workforce development manager for VANTAGE Aging.

The program is a partnership between VANTAGE Aging, the Ohio Department of Aging and other organizations. SCSEP places participants in part-time roles at local non-profit and public organizations, earning minimum wage while gaining work experience.

"Most older workers want to only work part-time, and I think there's nothing wrong with that," Johnson said. "They've put in their work for many years, and more employers could be more accommodating with just being a little bit more flexible and less rigid with the traditional work hours."

Johnson said the program updates older adults' skills and assists them with obtaining recent work experience to make them more qualified for employers.

"Our hope is that everyone would leave our program with resume, job search skills, things like that," she said. "So they're job-ready when they do eventually leave our program and find employment."

Johnson said she found through her research that some benefits of hiring older workers are their communication skills, reliability and willingness to learn. She said these workers tend to switch jobs less than younger workers.

Carmichael said employers should learn to recognize that those later in their careers have years of experience to offer and can help mentor younger workers. She said putting older workers in mentorship is an effective strategy that helps them feel connected to the workplace.
"Employment isn't just about income, right? It's about the dignity of work," Carmichael said. "It's about social connectedness and mental health. And so we want to create those opportunities as much as we can."


This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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A Nevada bill would make changes to adult guardianship by prioritizing less restrictive approaches.

Sen. Melanie Scheible, D-Las Vegas, the bill's sponsor, explained Nevada law promotes "supportive decision-making," a contract between a protected person and a supportive partner. She said the approach allows people to keep a level of independence and power when making important legal, financial and health care decisions.

Scheible pointed out the new measure would require Nevada courts to first explore the option or other less restrictive alternatives before a guardian is appointed.

"It requires the judge to put on the record, why, if they are going to appoint a guardian, they are doing that in lieu of a supportive decision-making agreement," Scheible outlined. "What about this person's capabilities makes them unfit to be in a supportive decision-making arrangement?"

The legislation would also require the review of guardianships being transferred from outside the state into Nevada. Backers of the bill said state standards are not all the same and want to ensure guardianship is truly warranted. The bill was heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee this week and has not faced opposition so far.

Jonathan Norman, advocacy, outreach and policy director for the Nevada Coalition of Legal Services Providers, said he supports the measure because he wants people in the state to retain as many rights as they can when receiving medical care.

"SB 346 will lead to fewer unnecessary guardianships," Norman contended. "Many adults and seniors with disabilities find themselves facing the rest of their lives in a court-ordered guardianship, not because they need it but because less restrictive alternatives were not fully explored."

Ellen Marquez is the mother of Alysa Marquez, 22, who has Down syndrome. She said guardianship has been "the default" for too long. She believes while guardianship has its place, it can also strip people of their rights.

"If we all rely on guidance from trusted sources, why shouldn't individuals with disabilities and older adults have the same opportunity?" Marquez asked.


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Oregonians have saved nearly $350 million for retirement through OregonSaves, a program allowing employees without workplace plans to automatically contribute to an individual retirement account.

Now, more than 60% of Oregon workers have access to a retirement savings plan, one of the highest rates in the country.

Bandana Shrestha, state director of AARP Oregon, said the group helped launch OregonSaves in 2017, the first program of its kind in the nation.

"It really is very wonderful that we were able to innovate and lead the country in a program that's so meaningful and so impactful," Shrestha emphasized. "I hope that people really take advantage of it."

Although more than 1 million private sector workers across the country have enrolled in state retirement savings programs, research shows nationwide one in five Americans over age 50 has no retirement savings.

Ryan Mann, executive director of the Oregon Treasury Savings Network, which oversees OregonSaves, said research shows people are 15 times more likely to save when it happens through a payroll deduction at their job.

"OregonSaves is attempting to fill that gap by providing a free way for employers to help their employees save," Mann explained. "Once they're enrolled in the program, an easy way for the workers to have it happen automatically."

Shresthra said retirement savings are not only important for individuals, they can also alleviate some of the financial pressures extended family or friends may feel who are providing care as people age, which can be costly.

"It gives you choices," Shresthra pointed out. "Both in terms of how you lead your life, but also how you are able to extend generosity and to give to your community, to your family. "

Research shows women, people of color and lower-wage workers are all less likely to have access to a traditional retirement account, and Mann said OregonSaves is designed to help close intergenerational wealth gaps. State residents can sign up and find more information at OregonSaves.com.

Pennsylvanians over age 50 are voicing concerns about the Department of Government Efficiency plans to cut 7,000 jobs from the U.S. Social Security Administration as part of its efforts to shrink the federal government and curb what it describes as waste and fraud.

More than one in five Pennsylvanians get monthly Social Security payments, according to AARP, almost 3 million people.

Nora Dowd Eisenhower, volunteer state president of AARP Pennsylvania, said all the changes have left many beneficiaries confused and worried about potential office closures, employee layoffs and reduced services.

"We are working to make sure that Americans receive the Social Security they have worked hard for and paid for over their entire working lives," Dowd Eisenhower emphasized.

Social Security benefits contribute almost $63 billion a year to Pennsylvania's economy through retirement, survivors and disability payments, according to AARP, all of which boost consumer spending, business sales, and job creation across the state.

Dowd Eisenhower pointed out the Social Security Administration had planned big changes to its phone services in March that would have caused delays and hassles but the decision was reversed this month after intense pushback. She noted AARP members have long been vocal about the need for better customer service from the Social Security Administration.

"Last year, four out of five older Americans, across party lines, supported increased funding for the Social Security Administration as a way to improve customer service," Dowd Eisenhower reported.

President Donald Trump's senior adviser Elon Musk claims Social Security could be cut by $500 billion to $700 billion without reducing benefits.

Dowd Eisenhower added AARP is urging Congress to make sure the Social Security Administration makes payments on time, as it has for nearly 90 years, and provides quality customer service by phone, online and in person.