Recommendation 20250226-008: Older Adult Focus at City Job Fairs — original pdf
Recommendation
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE Recommendation Number: 20250226-008: Older Adult Focus at City Job Fairs WHEREAS, the Joint Inclusion Committee (“JIC”) of the City of Austin serves as an advisory body that advocates for and inspires the City Council (“Council”) and City Manager on issues pertaining to equity, diversity, and inclusion to promote close cooperation between Council, City Management, City boards, commissions, committees, and task forces, and individuals, institutions, and agencies to increase and sustain equity, diversity, and inclusion in the city; WHEREAS, the City of Austin will hold the 14th Annual City of Austin Career Expo on April 2, 2025, designed to facilitate employer hiring needs and the employment needs of job seekers1; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin regularly holds additional job fair(s) throughout the year2; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin regularly holds one 50+ Community Job Fair per year that includes employers that primarily specialize in providing jobs and resources for individuals who are over the age of 503 and are marketed to older adults who choose to or need to continue working past traditional retirement age; and WHEREAS, Austin’s older adult population represents 10.8% of the total population4; and WHEREAS, older adults job seekers frequently face ageism5,6 and 78% of people between the ages of 40 and 65 said they had seen age discrimination in the workplace7; and WHEREAS, older adult job seekers re-entering the workforce may be out of touch with the latest technology; and WHEREAS, AARP is one of numerous sources advising unique approaches for older adults seeking employment8,9 ;and other NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission on Aging encourages the Austin City Council to direct the City to add one or two speakers to each job fair that would cover informational topics, such as how to: repurpose a long career to pursue new interests, navigate new technology involved in résumé submittal, and • • • maintain self-confidence during the job search. The Commission on Aging can research local professionals to assist with speaker placement if needed. 1 City of Austin Career Expo | AustinTexas.gov 2 City of Austin Fair Chance Hiring Job Fair on July 25 | AustinTexas.gov 3 City of Austin 50+ Community Job Fair on September 25 | AustinTexas.gov 4 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 1-year estimates and 2020 decennial census. 5 15 Frustrating Reasons Why People Over 50 Struggle to Find Jobs - Housely 6 https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinryan/2024/04/16/how-to-find-a-job-if-you-are-55-or-older/ 7 The 5 Secrets for Getting Hired After 50 8 The 5 Secrets for Getting Hired After 50 9 How To Find A Job If You Are 55 Or Older Date of Approval: February 26, 2025 Record of the vote: 9-0, on Jerry Joe Benson's 1st and Morgan Davis' 2nd. For: Sonny Sin, Becky Bullard, Richard Bondi (Vice Chair), Melissa Ortega, Alice Navarro, Amanda Afifi (Chair), Morgan Davis, Jerry Joe Benson, Jennifer Powell Off the dais: Elaina Fowler Not Present: Philip Reichert or Curtis Wyman Attest: ____________________________________________ (Alejandra Mireles, Staff Liaison)