Older workers getting hired at more rapid pace

According to one recent report, older workers have been getting hired at a substantially-more rapid pace than younger job seekers.

The recent study by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas revealed that since January 1, 2010, 69 percent of new jobs have gone to people aged 55 and older, with 2,998,000 total positions added during this time. On the other hand, workers 45- to 54-years-old, 35- to 44-years old and teenagers have all seen the number of jobs fall during this period.

According to John A. Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, firms are finding it less expensive to hire those with more experience.

"Older workers may be benefitting from a desire among employers to keep hiring to a minimum," he said. "The economy is still only slowly recovering, so employers have repeatedly indicated that they are only adding workers when absolutely necessary. In this environment, a seasoned candidate who brings a wide variety of skills and experience to the table is going to have an advantage over younger candidates."

Overall, the U.S. Unemployment rate has been hovering around 8 percent since the beginning of the year. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in May stood at 8.2 percent, slightly higher than the 8.1 percent seen in April.

Content provided by executive search organization, MRINetwork.