Cost of living pushing seniors back into workforce, B.C. non-profit says

Vancouver’s surging cost of living is having yet different unintended effect — a increasing fig of seniors looking to get backmost into the workforce.

Vancouver non-profit Mission Possible, which helps link radical successful precarious beingness situations with unchangeable employment, says it’s seen a 55-per cent leap successful the fig of seniors looking for enactment compared to past year.

The enactment says immoderate are coming retired of retirement, portion others are putting disconnected status due to the fact that they can’t marque ends conscionable without a paycheque.

Edward Boe, 66, told Global News he’s moving 20 hours a week astatine Mission Possible to support a extortion implicit his head.

“I’m making $1,540 connected my pensions, aged property and CPP. I’ve got rent of $800, expenses of $400. That would’ve near maine with $200 a month,” helium explained.

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“I’d astir apt beryllium surviving down present successful the Downtown Eastside successful an SRO, which convey God I’m not.”

Matthew Smedley, Mission Possible’s enforcement manager and CEO, said that portion galore seniors are looking to work, they often find less opportunities than different occupation seekers.

“It tin beryllium highly hard for seniors to find work, determination tin beryllium technological barriers, wellness barriers, possibly immoderate other flexibility needed for immoderate folks and that tin beryllium challenging to marque them consciousness similar they’re capable to get backmost into work,” helium said.

Smedley said seniors aren’t the lone ones feeling the pressure.

Mission Possible has seen a 165-per cent summation successful radical seeking assistance to get a occupation implicit past year.

The enactment is calling connected the state to summation services that assistance radical get backmost into the workforce.