Older Workers: Department of Labor Should Help State and Local Partners Share Promising Practices

What GAO Found

Individuals 55 and older accounted for about 22 percent of participants (769,000 individuals) across six selected federal workforce development programs GAO examined using program year 2023 data. Program year 2023, which ran from July 2023 through June 2024, was the most recent complete year of data available at the time of this review.

Compared to younger participants, older adults were less likely to find a job after exiting a program. For example, about 60 percent of older adults reported having a job in the second quarter after exiting Department of Labor (DOL) Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs in program year 2023. In contrast, about 69 percent of participants ages 40–54 and 73 percent of participants ages 16–39 reported having a job.

Similarly, about 50 percent of older adults in the Department of Education’s Vocational Rehabilitation program reported having a job, compared to about 54 percent of participants ages 40–54 and 58 percent of participants ages 16–39. Exit from a program generally occurs when a participant has not received services for 90 days and does not have plans to receive future services.

Older workers (41 total) who GAO interviewed at 10 job centers in five states said participating in federal workforce development programs helped them learn digital literacy skills and get employment and training opportunities in their communities. They also noted challenges, such as limited numbers of employers participating in job fairs and few openings in some workforce programs. Additionally, they said they faced challenges finding jobs, including challenges navigating the job application process, developing new skills, and managing potential age discrimination by employers.

Older Adults Using Job Center Services

Job center officials GAO interviewed at the 10 centers said older workers they served had unique employment needs compared to younger workers. Some state and local partners in locations GAO visited had initiatives to address the needs of older workers. However, DOL, which administers most of these programs, does not facilitate information sharing among these partners on promising practices that could support older workers. Doing so could help DOL strengthen workforce system support for older workers, improve their employment rates and earnings, and bring their valuable knowledge and experience to the workplace.

Why GAO Did This Study

Older workers represent an increasing share of the U.S. workforce. From 2003 to 2023, individuals 55 and older increased their share of the workforce from 15 percent to 23 percent, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Federal workforce development programs may help older workers manage challenges that could affect their ability to find and retain jobs, such as demand for new skills or limited knowledge of effective job search strategies. These programs are administered primarily by DOL and Education through a network of state and local partners, including job centers that provide employment and training services to all jobseekers.

GAO was asked to examine employment support for older workers. This report provides information on the percentage of workforce development program participants who are 55 and older, their rates of employment after exiting these programs, and their perspectives as participants in these programs. This report also examines the extent to which DOL has helped state and local partners share information with one another to support older workers.

To provide this information, GAO analyzed DOL and Education program data to compare the employment outcomes of older and younger participants in six workforce development programs (out of 38 programs that serve adults). GAO focused on four core Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs that serve older workers, among other customers, and two other programs in which older workers make up a large share of participants. GAO also held nine non-generalizable discussions with small groups of older workers at job centers in five states to learn from their experiences seeking employment and participating in workforce programs. GAO selected locations in which individuals 55 and older represented a substantial share of program participants within these local areas and that reflected variation in geographic and economic conditions.

GAO reviewed, for all 50 states, program year 2024 WIOA State Plans that outline their 4-year workforce development strategies. Additionally, GAO interviewed state and local partners, including job center officials, about initiatives focused on older workers within their states. GAO also interviewed DOL and Education officials about their coordination on issues related to older workers.