Web searches for jobs increase by 20% with seniors the fastest growing group

Web traffic to career development sites increased 20 per cent year-over-year in January, with 65+ being the fastest growing age group in the career development category according to a report released in February.

Nielsen Online reported that unique visitors to career development websites grew from 41.5 million unique visitors in January 2008 to 49.7 million in January 2009. CareerBuilder Network was the No. 1 online career development destination in January 2009, with 20.8 million unique visitors. Yahoo! HotJobs and Monster took the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, with 11.7 million and 9.5 million unique visitors.

“With the current unstable economy and rising unemployment rate, more people are heading online to search for jobs, and interestingly not just the unemployed. The career development category also grew 20 percent year-over-year among at work users, suggesting that many people are trying to build up their resumes and get a sense of the job market before the next potential layoff,” said Chuck Schilling, research director, agency & media, Nielsen Online.

The number of unique visitors 65 and older to career development websites grew 41 percent year-over-year, increasing from 2.5 million unique visitors in January 2008 to 3.6 million in January 2009. This was the largest increase year-over-year among people aged 18 and older.

“While 65 used to be considered the age when most people retired, we are seeing a trend towards later retirement or partial retirement. Much of this desire to stay employed longer can probably be attributed to the fact that people are living longer and feel the need to keep generating income and sock away more retirement savings, especially in light of the current economic climate and its effect on people’s nest eggs. There’s an opportunity for publishers and advertisers to appeal to this niche market by providing content that’s relevant to longtime career holders looking for their next position and trying to shore up their retirement savings,” said Schilling.

At Work Anywhere knows that the 65+ age group has a lot to offer in terms of experience and wisdom. We intend to support 'silver surfers' by assisting them to find opportunities that will make the best use of their life experiences and professional skillsets to the advantage of all concerned.