The stereotype of the senior citizen working at Borders and Home Depot appears to be true. Retail jobs are the most common occupation for workers 65 or older, according to an Urban Institute analysis to be released later this month.
Almost 7 percent of people still working past age 65 are employed as retail sales persons or their supervisors, the Urban Institute calculated. Among the workforce as a whole, only about 5 percent of people work in retail.
"It's still the case that the most common occupation is somewhat mundane like cashiers, janitors, and secretaries," says Richard Johnson, a principal research associate at the Urban Institute and author of the study. "It's still a minority of the jobs that are exciting new careers."
Here are the jobs most common among seniors, according to the study.
| Occupation | Total 65-and-Older Workers | Share of Workers 65 and Older in the Occupation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Retail salesperson | 181,559 | 3.5% |
| 2. | Farmers and ranchers | 177,383 | 3.4 |
| 3. | First-line supervisors/managers of retail salespeople | 164,507 | 3.2 |
| 4. | Janitors and building cleaners | 146,364 | 2.8 |
| 5. | Driver/sales workers and truck drivers | 139,902 | 2.7 |
| 6. | Secretaries and administrative assistants | 139,829 | 2.7 |
| 7. | Cashiers | 110,508 | 2.1 |
| 8. | Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | 108,798 | 2.1 |
| 9. | Real estate brokers and sales agents | 92,465 | 1.8 |
| 10. | Chief executives | 89,720 | 1.7 |
Source: Urban Institute calculations, 2008
| Occupation | Share of Workers in Occupation Who Are 65 and Older | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Funeral service workers | 31.4% |
| 2. | Crossing guards | 27.7 |
| 3. | Farmers and ranchers | 25.7 |
| 4. | Models, demonstrators, and product promoters | 23.1 |
| 5. | Funeral directors | 16.3 |
| 6. | Tax preparers | 14.3 |
| 7. | Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers | 13.2 |
| 8. | Barbers | 13.0 |
| 9. | Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners | 11.6 |
| 10. | Clergy | 11.4 |
Source: Urban Institute calculations, 2008
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