Your Money ;
; Many older workers can’t find jobs.
; So they are creating their own.
; Meet the ‘reluctant entrepreneurs.’
Hire Yourself
By Elizabeth Pope
Photos by Joshua Kessler
After two decades as a music industry sales executive, James Glay
was laid off last year. “It was a
real surprise,” says Glay, 60, of
Arlington Heights, Ill. “I thought
I’d be the last to go because of
my tenure and performance.”
Glay immediately called all
his contacts, started networking
and spent hours applying for jobs
online. “It’s just been horrible,”
he says. “I had six inter-
views in one year, and the
only jobs available paid
less than $10 an hour.”
He has taken a part-time
job selling sheet music,
but most of his energy
is devoted to starting a business
and website centered on his pas-
sion, drums and drumming.
DRUMMER
James Glay
music executive
turned online
drum distributor
Despite their years
of experience, older
workers like Glay are
facing the highest un-
employment rates
since the Great Depression. They are
also remaining out of work longer than
younger workers, with over 40 percent
staying jobless six months or longer. And
once they land a job, they often must
settle for lower pay than they’re used to.
