More Seniors Looking for Part-Time Work to Pay the Bills

Published on 2016/01/31 | Source

An increasing number of seniors are looking for part-time jobs, as more people retire at a younger age, only to find they still have to make ends meet but cannot afford to open their own businesses.

According to part-time job portal Alba, 24,682 resumes of people aged 50 or over were posted on its website last year, a whopping 664 percent increase from 3,232 in 2010. A similar portal, Albamon, saw its resume count for the over-50 age group grow by 26 percent last year compared to the previous year.

A director at Albamon said given that many seniors are unfamiliar with using the Internet, the actual number of elderly people looking for work could be much higher.

The types of part-time work now available to seniors have grown more diverse.

The most common are delivery jobs using the subway, as those aged 65 or over can ride for free. The owner of a delivery company that only hires those in this age bracket said, "Seniors tend to wake up early, so they are able to make early morning deliveries. Also, they handle delivery items with extra care, and our clients like it".

Others include driving, security guard, customer counselor, storage caretaker and call center worker. In recent years, seniors have also begun working in jobs usually thought of as reserved for youngsters, such as at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. McDonald's is currently hiring more than 240 people aged 55 or over as part-timers across the country.

As shown in the recent film "The Intern", an increasing number of companies are hiring seniors as interns as well, including CJ, GS Retail, POSCO and Yuhan Kimberly. Those companies are eligible for government subsidies covering 50 percent of the senior interns' monthly wages for up to six months.

An industry insider said store owners were at first reluctant to hire seniors in positions requiring interaction with customers, but now more stores prefer hiring seniors due to their experience and sense of responsibility.