by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist(read the original in Noozhawk by clicking here)

New Year’s is typically a time for anticipating the upcoming year, but we’re struggling for something to celebrate. Employers despair at not being able to keep their labor force. Nevertheless, there is one cause to celebrate: the other side of the employment coin. It’s a hot labor market.

Willing workers who typically have trouble finding jobs are discovering good options.

The overall unemployment rate in the U.S. for December 2021 was a mere 3.9% (6.9% in California.) The jobless rate for workers ages 55 and older has plunged from 6.1% in December 2020 to 3.0% a year later. Many seniors want to be part of the system again, albeit with Covid safety precautions.

According to U.S. News and World Report (USNWR), seniors are in demand for a variety of occupations which could be fulfilling “encore” careers:

Teacher
College instructor
Administrative assistant
Nurse
Real estate agent
Sales
Driver
Clergy
Child care
Manager
Management consultant
Financial services
Writer
Engineer
Musician

Musicians, really? It’s hard to imagine my saxophone skills could be a gold mine, but perhaps. USNWR suggested weddings, parties and bars. In pandemic times, the focus might be more around providing private lessons, which likely would pay more per hour.

Employers in this tight labor market are more receptive to another hard-to-employ group: convicted felons. With 20 million convicted felons and 10.9 million job openings at the end of 2021, some employers are listening.

It’s easier in the 13 states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, D.C., Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington) with “ban-the-box” laws. These laws prohibit employers from asking direct questions like:

“Have you ever been convicted of a crime?”

“Were you on probation in the last five years?”

“Have you ever been arrested?”

The laws give people with criminal records a better chance at getting jobs, which benefits all of us. Every year a freed criminal is not convicted of a new crime reduces their chances of criminal behavior. Within five to 10 years. ex-felons have the same likelihood of committing a crime as someone without a criminal record.

Georgetown University Public Policy professor Harry Holzer adds, “Maybe, maybe there’s a potential for some win-win — good for these guys and their families and good for employers and the economy.”

Some companies, like U.S. Rubber Recycling, have a practice of hiring ex-felons. Their business has boomed in the pandemic, manufacturing items like personal gym flooring which is in high demand. One beneficiary is Thomas Urioste, released from federal prison to a halfway house after 10-year stint. After hiring on as a machine operator and earning a raise six months later, Urioste is grateful.

“They took a chance on me, gave me some responsibilities pretty fast. They let me run this [$200,000] machine,” he said. “It feels pretty good because they trusted me.”

Nonprofits like Honest Jobs in Ohio and Chrysalis in L.A. work to facilitate hiring of people with criminal records. They are careful in their placements: recommending a fraud-convicted woman for a warehouse job rather than an accounting one.

Chrysalis finds jobs for hard-core unemployed of all kinds. They note that the turnover is about 25% higher than the general populace, but the benefits to society, the companies, and the individuals make is worthwhile.

Even in this job-rich market, it behooves hard-to-place seekers to fashion their best first impression. Job hunters should pursue companies with whom they’d like to be associated, familiarizing themselves with employees and job positions. Making use of the technology tools used by recruiters, especially LinkedIn, will be helpful.

Job applicants should assure their resume and interview outline align to the needs described in jobs that appeal to them. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t be at the expense of letting their unique personality show through.

Finally, routinely and immediately write thank you notes for each encounter. When hard work yields a long sought-after position, new employees should thank themselves, too, for diligence and a job well done.

Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist

Karen Telleen-Lawton is an eco-writer, sharing information and insights about economics and ecology, finances and the environment. Having recently retired from financial planning and advising, she spends more time exploring the outdoors — and reading and writing about it. The opinions expressed are her own.More by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist