economy

November showed strong job growth, but the labor force participation rate remained unchanged for the 55+ for the fourth consecutive month. Plus, a look at how unemployment is measured.

This month's Spotlight: BLS employment projections for the coming decade forecast that while employment growth is projected to slow, labor force participation rates of 65+ workers will continue to climb

Employment overview

When you think about the sharing economy, you probably conjure up an image of Millennials using the latest app on their smartphones to order up something on-demand or provide a service to someone they’ve never met. Yes, the younger generation is leading the movement, but older Americans are also taking advantage of this trend.  In fact, according to a study by PWC, close to one quarter of sharing economy providers are 55 and older.

Updated May 4, 2015

In his penultimate State of the Union address, President Barack Obama on Tuesday night announced wide-ranging proposals he said would improve the economic prospects of the middle class, including helping families pay for college and child care, while giving more workers access to retirement plans.

Employers capped a year of solid hiring by adding 252,000 jobs to the economy in December — and older workers welcomed those gains. The national unemployment rate for people 55-plus dipped by 0.6 percent to 3.9 percent last month, a bigger monthly decline than the rate for workers overall, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Inflation lately has been pretty tame. Still, the possibility that it could raise its ugly head again, eating away at our spending power and standard of living, is always in the back of our minds. That’s why it’s important to understand inflation to better protect ourselves from its potential impact. Knowing these myths about inflation is a good place to start.