Due to the present scarcity of teenage labor, the industry has turned to retired people for stable, reliable workers. But not all retired people work for the minimum wage flopping hamburgers. Many set up as consultants for a high hourly rate, using their skills and insights and working where and when they want to. Even the fast food chains have discovered that retirees are particularly reliable. They have been promoting their older employees into managerial positions.
Many colleges allow retired people to take courses at little or no cost.
Some even have special programs for older people and provide inexpensive residence facilities on college campuses. It is common in colleges all over the country to see older people studying alongside students one quarter their age. Getting Younger all the Time. As the population of the nation gets older, the youth orientation weakens. The modern trend is for senior citizens to be active rather than to sit in rocking chairs all day long.