Older workers / Half of a Boston company’s workforce is part-time senior citizens

Half of a Boston company’s workforce is part-time senior citizens, countering myths about value of older workers. No Freedom 55 here.

When a special order comes in that calls for a steady hand and a sure eye, the work at Vita Needle often goes to a machine operator called Bill Ferson.

For the past 25 years, at Vita’s factory in suburban Boston, Ferson has been taking very small, hollow stainless steel tubes, thinner than a piece of spaghetti, and shaping one end to make high quality needles and probes.

Ferson is 94.

Vita Needle is his second career. For 39 years before joining them, he had a first career at another company making fine measuring instruments.

“I only planned to work for a few months, but I’ve been here ever since,” he says.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor

via Older workers: At this company, average employee is 65 | Toronto Star.

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