ECHOES: Should We Blame Grandpa For Teen Joblessness? “As this graphic shows, the labor-force participation rate for those 65 and older has nearly doubled since reaching a low of about 10 percent in the mid-1980s. It peaked earlier this year at 18 percent. The last time senior participation rates were this high was in the late 1960s.”

I suspect that more older people are working because they have to in light of lousy-to-nonexistent returns on CDs and bonds — something that would be producing a lot of tear-jerker media coverage if we had a Republican president, but that goes largely unmentioned under Obama. If CDs were returning 5%, a lot more of them would be staying home. But if I were an employer looking for part-time workers, if I had the choice of a 68-year-old with extensive work history who needed the money to live, and a 17-year-old with none who was working for “extra” money, I’d pick the 68-year-old every time.

UPDATE: Reader Jeff Brown writes: “Don’t forget, a 68-yr old who by law cannot become an Obamacare burden to the business. Look at the jobless recovery among those over 45 that flips once the magical 65 is achieved.” Hmm.

ANOTHER UPDATE: A reader emails:

As a business owner, I maintain a policy of hiring grandpa over teeney, twenty, and definitely 30-ish. For our Nanny State (thank you Mayor Bloomberg, etc.), and although there is an ocean between abuse and discipline, somehow all these kids who were never told “no,” had their butts swatted, or received any harsher punishement than having their iphones removed, cannot show up on time, take direction, t-h-i-n-k (duh) or process through random challenges. There seems to be this prevailing concept that they granted me the privilege of paying them, wee socialists. Gone are the 80’s wiz kids. And, therefore today’s 20-year-olds also from working in my business. That leaves 30-year-olds with a sense of entitlement and kids of their own. Fat chance: Those are the ones who act pious for being stupid, irresponsible, not showing up (my child (who is 14) needed a ride to play practice) or otherwise not doing their job (“I am on the phone. Now, Brenda, Mommy is sorry School wasn’t fun today…”). I never hire illegals. So, if that means sending a recruiter to a nursing home, so be it. Business is business.

Well, given that old folks can’t afford to retire nowadays, at least they have that work ethic to fall back on.