Nonprofit CWI Labs, whose mission is to help underserved communities overcome workforce entry barriers, has partnered with WorkingNation to address the issue in a series of interviews for our An Equitable Recovery series.

We have invited experts in workforce development, labor economics, aging, racial equity and policy to discuss the challenges before our Nation. And, most importantly, to introduce thought-provoking solutions. In this third of four interviews, Ruth Finkelstein, the executive director of the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging, sits down with Ramona Schindelheim, the editor-in-chief for WorkingNation, to talk about the obstacles facing older job seekers, particularly those from underserved communities.

Our nation’s labor force is increasingly dependent on older workers who will soon represent the largest single segment—25%—of our labor force. After the last recession, older job seekers only had a 40% chance of finding a job within 18 months. Ruth and Ramona discuss how COVID-19 fears and misinformation complicate efforts to include older workers in our recovery, and what employers and policy makers can do to overcome these challenges.

Read the full article about the impact of COVID-19 on the aging population from CWI Labs at YouTube.