MARION (WSIL) -- A national study shows older workers are being hurt by the pandemic more than younger workers.
But one local staffing agency says those numbers are different in our area
Priority Staffing says since March, about 8% of clients ages 55 and older have filed for unemployment.
HR Director Megan Zeller says the agency has seen more clients in the 19-45 range searching for work.
But the older adults that do come in have recently retired and are looking for temporary jobs.
She says most of them apply for high-end-clerical and professional positions are very valuable in our area.
"There's a lot of advantage to hiring older workers. Number one is experience, number two would be knowledge. There's huge benefits," she says.
Research from New School University in New York City found workers 55 and older were rehired slower than those younger in the 35 to 54 range.
Zeller says right now the agency has about 100 jobs available.
She says right now there's a high demand for contact tracers, temperature checkers and bus drivers.
