When Susan Trostle retired at 75, then went back to work at 81, people told her she was crazy.

But the times, and the face of the American work force, they are a'changin — and a'aging.

"Now people think it's pretty cool," says Trostle, of Columbia, who ran a Maytown beauty salon for 39 years and will be 88 in October.

For the past five years, she has worked for Community Services Group, which provides mental-health, mental-retardation, elder-care and children's services.

One of her full-time co-workers, 76-year-old Violet Lepard, has been with the company for more than 21 years and has no plans to retire.

"They'll have to carry me out of here," jokes Lepard, of Manheim, who also helps care for her great-grandchildren.

By 2012, workers 55 and older will comprise close to 20 percent of the work force, compared with 14 percent in 2002, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This represents an increase of 10 million workers, making seniors the fastest-growing segment of the work force.

And employers, perhaps attracted to the stability and loyalty seniors may provide, are reciprocating by offering "semiretirement," or allowing them to continue part time.

"Our seniors may need to work for financial reasons, or just want to continue working," says Tom Martin, employment/volunteer unit supervisor with the local Office of Aging, which offers three employment-oriented programs for seniors ages 55 and older. "We'll see the full gamut, even retired lawyers, professors and doctors, most likely saying they're bored."

Don Jones, 70, who joins Martin in the employment unit, worked in the banking industry and human resources for most of his career. But when the banks began to downsize, a disenchanted Jones had to look for alternative employment.

His five years with the Office of Aging have been a welcome and fulfilling change.

"Let's put it this way — when they asked me during the job interview what I'd like to be doing in five years ... well, I said, 'Whatever it is, I want it to be fun.'

"It's five years later, and I'm still here."

SHADES OF GRAY

Retirement is relative.

AARP recently reported that 68 percent of workers between the ages of 50 and 70 plan to work in retirement or never retire.

"A lot of this trend is being formed by the baby boomers," Martin says. "They are sort of molding society."

The classic retirement age of 65 is pretty much obsolete, he says. In fact, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 made mandatory retirement ages unlawful in most instances.

And now there are more 65-plus folks than ever.

"There has never been as large a senior population," says Ira Wolfe, director of Success Performance Solutions, Lancaster, and author of "The Perfect Labor Storm 2.0," which examines work-force trends.

"People are living longer, and they may have an active entire lifetime after they retire," he says.

Seniors who keep working or who return to the workplace may be driven by a strong work ethic — or restlessness and a need to contribute, Wolfe says, but there is also a shift in the need for workers in general.

By 2008, he says, the number of young-adult workers from 25 to 40 years old will decline by 1.7 million, leaving fewer workers available to replace the nearly 77 million baby boomers eligible for retirement.

"This is going to affect all industry across the board," says Scott Sheely, executive director of the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board. "There is going to be a crunch that many employers may not be prepared for."

By 2012, nearly one in five American workers will be 55 or older, and by 2030, people ages 65 and older are projected to make up 24 percent of the population — nearly 1 of every 4 Americans, Wolfe says.

"Seniors," he says, "will be more and more in demand in the workplace."

FROM CARS TO THE KITCHEN

Golfing, traveling and spending time with grandchildren is fine for some retirees.

But for John Resanovich, a full-time operations group leader at the Manheim Auto Auction, retirement just plain got boring.

"I got cabin fever," says the 74-year-old. "I realized I would have to do something or go buggy."

Company-wide, Manheim Auction employs 32,000 people at 144 worldwide locations, including the Manheim site. One-third are between the ages of 61 and 80. Of the 2,568 employees at the Manheim auction, one-half are in that age range. And there is a 92-year-old dispatcher.

"I think it's clear that (employees) like John like to continue working, and that's a good match for Manheim Auction," says Lois Rossi, corporate public relations director.

Resanovich, of Lebanon, joined the auction part time in 1994, shortly after retiring from a utilities company. He went full time in 1998. He assigns drivers to move cars throughout the Manheim site.

Resanovich is tentatively planning to retire at 75 — sort of.

He says he may still work a day or two a week.

But for now, he's happy working full time.

"It makes me feel good going home after a full day," he says. "It gives me a reason to get up in the morning."

Willow Valley Retirement Community may serve seniors residentially, but it also welcomes senior employees, says Bob Rush, director of human resources.

"I would say more than being driven by a paycheck, (seniors) want to make a difference and contribute. It's not about sitting down and preparing for death."

To date, there are 20 employees over the age of 70 among the close to 1,300 workers of all ages at the retirement community.

"It's a marriage of generations," Rush says.

Seventy-six-year-old Allen Henderson moved to Lancaster County in 1985 with his wife Alberta after retiring from Acme Markets in New Jersey.

But the New Providence couple didn't stop working.

Both are employed at Willow Valley, where he is a van driver who transports residents to medical appointments, and she works in housekeeping.

"I never intended to work this long, but the money helps, and I like what I do, so I just continued," says Henderson, who also plays in a country-and-western band.

Lois Hart, of Willow Street, formerly worked in West Lampeter Township administration. Hart, 81, recently welcomed a hostess position at Willow Valley.

Betty Mellinger, 80, of Lancaster, a former employee at St. Joseph Hospital (now Lancaster Regional Medical Center) likewise decided retirement wasn't for her. She has held a position in the Willow Valley Manor North formal dining-room kitchen for 12 years.

"I've been working altogether for 65 years," she says.

"I can't just sit."

CONTACT US: sjurgelski@LNPnews.com or 291-8756