Older workers, particularly women, are losing out when it comes to paychecks. Not only are they getting stuck in low-wage jobs, but women — who make up a minority of older workers — account for the great majority of older workers in several low-wage fields.

According to a report by economist and retirement expert Teresa Ghilarducci of the Retirement Equity Lab at the New School, unemployment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent for workers aged 55 and older in October. 

What the BLS report didn't say, according to Ghilarducci, is that older workers are increasingly being relegated to low-wage service jobs — jobs that pay less than two-thirds the median wage, or $539 per week. In September, 27.1 percent of full-time workers aged 55 and older were in low-wage jobs, compared to 19.0 percent of younger workers.