Job Training Programs and Employment Opportunities for Older Adults in the United States

Abstract

This article discusses the present state of older workers and the unemployed in the US and outlines several vocational training programs and employment efforts that are ongoing in the US for the elderly. The federal government has been running job training and employment programs for senior citizens through hub centers established in each state, which has greatly promoted senior workers’ reemployment. Given that the risks of unemployment associated with the COVID-19 pandemic are highly concentrated among older workers, the effectiveness of US vocational training and employment programs for senior citizens has substantial implications for similar policies and programs in Korea. The government should work in concert with communities to support active and healthy aging. These efforts should be carried out through the creation of government-affiliated programs and of a professional workforce tasked with job training and employment for older workers, national evaluation systems to track the efficacy of these programs, and continued awareness raising.