An economic recovery is unlikely to quickly restore the jobs lost by older workers -- and some might never return. In Goshen, Ind., part of a metropolitan area that has seen one of the sharpest jumps in unemployment in the nation, Jack Cook, 65, was laid off in September from his job as a sales manager for a manufacturer of rubber gaskets.
He hasn't had any luck finding another position, and began withdrawing his Social Security benefits in November, amounting to about $1,800 a month. He is hoping it will be a temporary fix, but job prospects, particularly in his industry, where he has spent the past 27 years, look bleak. "There used to be eight or nine rubber companies in the area," he says.
Ms. Conti, who lost her job in June, says she is hoping to find work and avoid tapping her Social Security benefits for the next few years, but she already is digging into personal savings to help pay her rent of $1,200 a month. Her current unemployment benefits run out next June. Without a job, she says, her situation feels precarious.
"Right now I'm healthy, but you never know what tomorrow is going to bring."
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