Missouri

“I am about to turn 76 years old. I cannot find regular employment at my age, but as a proofreader, I don’t need to. I can take on clients for small or large jobs as they need. I worked as a full-time proofreader until 2010 when the sudden economic downturn forced many businesses to downsize. My husband and I (he is a typesetter) were among those let go by our small publishing company. Since I was about to turn 65, I decided I would spend a year trying to find a job (which seemed unlikely given my age and the economic situation at the time), and then would go on Social Security. Given those circumstances, my husband and I began a small business of providing proofreading and typesetting on a contract basis. Being able to supplement our Social Security payments with “gig” work has been a real godsend for our economic stability. There is no way we could get full-time jobs at our age doing what we do.”