Dear Joyce: I'm 67, female and have been on the beach for two years. At first I thought it was great to be free and outside the system, but I've come to realize that retirement is disappointing. Do you think now that the new Social Security law allowing people to collect full retirement benefits at 65, on top of whatever else they earn, will cause employers to look more favorably on older workers? -- C.S.

Dear C.S.: The recent Social Security action indeed creates a new labor pool of experienced workers ages 65 to 69. But delude yourself not. Older workers continue to have a steep hiring curve to climb. It's the sticking around that's less problematic today. In a full-employment economy, employers aren't so quick to urge employees to push the early-out button. The kicker: Extended tenure may be in a non-benefit-paying consultancy rather than regular-status employment.

The first stop on your return trip should be where you used to work; say "I'm baaack!"

Looking on the bright side, you undoubtedly realize the wisdom of acting quickly: The lower the unemployment rate, the better your job chances if you're included in the LX generation (The Roman numerals LX represent the number 60 for those in their sixth decade of life; L means 50 and X means 10.).

My inspiration for the snazzy LX generation handle comes from Michelle Crowe, who wrote a terrific article about careers for the L Generation, or people in their 50s, in a Westtech High Technology Careers online magazine www.hightechcareers.com/doc200/over50200.html.

In theming her article, Crowe recalls a piece of recruitment industry black humor: "Apply in person" means if you're old, fat or ugly, the position has been filled. Which reminds me of another discriminatory page torn from a 1943 "Men's Guide to Hiring Women." Only 53 years ago the guide urged men to:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that "husky" girls -- those who are just a little on the heavy side -- are more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

The guide didn't mention "ugly," among its tips for dealing with older and fatter workers but does suggest:

Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

In the not-too-distant future, current attitudes about L-generation and LX-generation workers may seem as quaint as those about women workers a half-century ago. In 2005, nearly 40 percent of America's workforce, some 55 million workers, will be age 45 or older. We're living longer, and those years are being considered middle-years, not end game-years.

Age 67 isn't so old. Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of both France and England, was one of the great heroines of the Middle Ages. After a controversial and spicy earlier life, Eleanor hit her stride when she turned 67, emerging from 16 years of imprisonment to rule England with wisdom and style during the absence of her son, Richard the Lion Heart, who was getting beat up in the Third Crusade. LX generation career peaks do happen.

Send career questions for possible use in this column to Joyce Lain Kennedy at Box 368, Cardiff, CA 92007, or e-mail her at jlk@sunfeatures.com. Sorry, no personal replies.

© 2000, Los Angeles Times Syndicate