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Older Workers: Forget Hair Dye and Botox follow this blog post

Are you a baby boomer looking for a new job? If so, don't open this bottle of hair dye just yet.

If you're worried about competing with younger workers, forget about the facelift, the hair color and even the botox treatment you've scheduled. According to a new study, your time will be better spent dusting off your dimploma, not trying to look younger. 

New research from the Urban Institute says the fastest-growing occupations that already draw most of their employees from workers over the age of 55 rely on brains, not brawn.

Jobs are less physically demanding now than they were just three decades ago and less likely to entail difficult working conditions. Between 1971 and 2007 the percentage of jobs with great physical demands declined from 8.0 to 6.6 percent. The percentage of jobs requiring skills that show a high cognitive ability grew from 26.5 to 36 percent.

Since people working in these "high cognitative" professions have to inspire trust in the community and among customers, wrinkles and grey hair might even be a benefit.

Consider the list of these fast-growing professions for older workers: personal financial advisors, veterinarians, social and community service managers, surveyors, environmental scientists and geoscientists, registered nurses, and instructional coordinators. The list also includes postsecondary teachers, archivists and curators, social workers, management analysts, pharmacists, counselors, and business operation specialists.

Of all professions, the fastest-growing area that is friendliest to older workers are personal and home care aides. Other categories that require less education include ushers, animal trainers, locksmiths, and brokerage clerks.

According to the institute, each of these fields is expected to see its workforce grow by least 20 percent by 2016. The portion of older workers filling these jobs will surpass the 17 per cent of all workers.

The study,“Will Employers Want Aging Boomers?” by Gordon B.T. Mermin, Richard W. Johnson, and Eric J. Toder, uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Training Administration, and Census Bureau.

3 comments

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  • 1 point 14 months ago

    I know about the 3 hours of exercise every day, but what work has Madonna had done? Enquiring minds...who don't read the Enquirer, want to know.

  • 1 point 14 months ago

    Madonna just hit 50 and she's apparently becoming the model for oldsters of the future. She believes in hair dye and cosmetic surgery. And so should you my friends. She also does a little exercise.

  • 1 point 15 months ago

    I think I'll let this comment stand because it is so hilarious.