Suchergebnisse

Unemployed older workers face significant labor market obstacles when attempting to find employment. Social workers employed in community-based gerontology settings often intervene with older workers as they search for employment. This article presents the findings from an evaluation and replication of a Job Club intervention strategy designed to assist older workers in regaining employment. Using an experimental pre-post control group design, the results indicate that Job Club programs are more effective than traditional job search assistance strategies in helping participants obtain employment. The benefits of using behavioral strategies such as the Job Club in social work practice with unemployed older workers are discussed.

A total of 54 unemployed workers over the age of 50 were interviewed in order to examine the relationship between the quality of social support provided by family and friends for their job search efforts and their job search intensity. The findings indicate that receiving positive social support for job search activities was significantly related to job search intensity. In addition, older workers perceived the supportive messages provided by unemployed friends as more positive than the support messages provided by employed and retired family or friends. Implications of these findings for assessing the presence of positive social supports and for developing successful job search assistance programs for older unemployed workers are discussed.

Few studies of unemployment have examined the impact of joblessness on older women. The exploratory study reported in this article examined the differences in adjustyriertt to unemployment of 72 women and 76 men, aged 50 and over. The results reflect the vulnerability and special challenges that older unemployed women face and the need for social work services that are targeted to this population.