Event Cancelled: The Business Case for Age-Friendly Hiring

Hiring the right employees is a challenge for business when unemployment is low. In Sonoma County, there’s a group of workers that offers experience, skills, flexibility in work hours and high job performance to fill the need – older adult job seekers.

“Twenty-five percent of our county population is age 60 and above and many want to work,” says Sonoma County Board of Supervisors member Shirlee Zane, District 3. “Unfortunately, older adults can face age discrimination in hiring, despite studies that show that every aspect of job performance gets better as we age.”

“Older workers bring wisdom and experience that can assist in problem resolution and building a healthy workplace,” says Sonoma County Board of Supervisors member Lynda Hopkins, District 5. “Given the high performance of older workers, the discrimination against them in the workplace really makes no sense." 

In a 2009 report from the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College, hiring managers gave older employees high marks for loyalty, reliability and productivity. Keeping older employees working more years has another benefit, according to economists – it boosts overall employment, which strengthens the whole economy. 

Aging Together Sonoma County is led by members of the Board of Supervisors, the Sonoma County Human Services Department Adult and Aging Division, Sonoma County Department of Public Health, the Council on Aging, Petaluma People Services Center and the Petaluma Health Center. By encouraging education and advocacy, the initiative supports Sonoma County as a healthy place to live, work and play: a place that supports all people to thrive across their lifespan and achieve their life potential.