Experience Works hosted a research briefing on September 22 on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. called "Overlooked and Underserved: The Crisis Facing America’s Older Workers." The briefing featured five participants in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) who shared their first-hand experience of what it is like to be an older unemployed worker. Shown, from left: Lynn Dusenbery, Wisconsin; Elizabeth Morena, Texas; Steve Jackson, Indiana; Rosa Hannah, New York; Kat Brown, Michigan; and Cynthia Metzler, president and CEO of Experience Works.

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“When you look at us, you see we’re all different: We’re male and female, black and white and Hispanic. But we all speak with one voice: We all want to work!” said Rosa Hannah, 60, of Rochester, New York.

Hannah was among five other panelists at Experience Works’ press event to highlight its new study, "Overlooked and Underserved: An In-depth Look at the Challenges Facing Low-income Older Job Seekers."

The study, a survey of over 2,000 randomly selected job seekers ages 55 and over who are Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) participants, found that nearly 70 percent of respondents are working now because their retirement income is not enough on which to live. Forty-six percent of the group say they are working so they don’t lose their home or apartment, and nearly a quarter say they are working to keep up with medical expenses.

Hannah was one of six panelists who told their unscripted stories. Hannah had retired from her county’s health and human services division and was living a comfortable life, but after she became the primary caretaker for her grandchildren, she knew she needed to return to work. When her grandson’s prescription began to cost a quarter of her retirement income, her search became a dire necessity.

Steve Jackson, 59, of Star City, Indiana, owned his own small business but had to sell it and file for bankruptcy due in large part to the medical bills from his wife’s illness – and those medical bills continued to mount because insurance companies wouldn’t cover her pre-existing condition. He tried to go out and find employment to secure insurance for himself and his wife, but was unsuccessful – and often denied employment because he was “overqualified.”

To see them tell their stories, go to the Overlooked and Underserved Web site.

All the panelists participate in SCSEP (pronounced see-sep), a U.S. Department of Labor program that provides part-time work and work-based training to low-income persons over 55, while paying the participants minimum wage. Participants are all placed in a wide variety of nonprofit and public facilities, completing important work for their communities.

One goal of the program is to help the participants become “absorbed” into their workplaces, securing unsubsidized employment. For qualifying individuals – 55 years of age or older, an annual family income not exceeding 125 percent of the federal poverty level and currently unemployed – SCSEP is one option for embarking on an encore career, placing participants directly into community workplaces such as schools and hospitals.

The downside, however, is the fact that there are only funds for 60,000 slots at a time – tiny compared to the 1.97 million unemployed workers over the age of 55 in August 2009. For participants like Hannah and Jackson, SCSEP is a lifesaver.