Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

A new web site aims to help retired boomers search for part-time, full-time and contract positions. 

The site, dubbed PrimeCB.com, is a spin-off from CareerBuilder.com, one of the largest online job-hunting sites.  PrimeCB aims to link workers who want to put off retirement with employers seeking experienced workers to round out their staff. 

The is being launched at a time when more than half of workers age 50 and older plan to retire after they reach 65, according to survey by the site. About 16 percent will leave the workforce after age 70. 

While women are more likely to put off retirement than men, both genders cite similar reasons for the delay. The most common reasons being "I can't afford to retire financially" and "I need the health insurance." Some retirees indicated, too, that "I enjoy my job," "I fear retirement may be boring," and "I enjoy where I work to much." 

"While some mature workers are expressing an interest in postponing retirement, there's still a large number of this critical segment of workers who will be leaving their current jobs in the next decade," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "The challenge now is to make sure we're connecting those retirees who want to continue working with the employers who want to preserve the value of having these experienced and skilled workers at their companies."

Nearly one quarter of employers plan to snap up retirees from other companies in 2008, offering baby boomers in their 50s and 60s new opportunities if they choose to extend their stay in the workforce, according to the survey.

In addition to sites like PrimeCB, there's been several other initiatives announced in recent months to help recruit and hire boomers. For example, the Partnership for Public Service launched a pilot program to match boomers with second careers in the federal government. Meanwhile, nonprofit organizations have been encouraging boomers to start an "encore career" and use their experience for the good of the community. 

About 30 percent of employers are worried about the loss of intellectual capital at their organization due to the large number of workers approaching retirement age, CareerBuilder.com found. A separate surveyalso highlighted just how concerned employers really are, with many lamenting how difficult it is to find qualified and experienced employees.

Job Alerts
PrimeCB.com enables retirees and to search for positions from CareerBuilder's database of over 1.6 million jobs. Users can also sign up for job alerts that automatically e-mail positions based on search criteria.

Still, in some cases, the best place to snag a part-time job may be with a current employer. About 14 percent of employers plan to provide incentives for older workers to stay with the company longer. Phased retirement plans, as well as flexible work options, are among ways US companies are ensuring they won't have talent gaps as part of the expected baby boomer retirement wave.

Haefner recommended the following tips for older workers who would like to stay in the workforce:

• Talk to your boss. Make him/her aware of how long you'd like to stay with the company and in what capacity.
• Tap into your personal network. Reconnect with contacts made throughout your career who may know of an opportunity for you.
• Stay up-to-date with technology. Brush up or learn new skills via your employer's training program, the Internet or community centers.
• Look to industries with high demand for full-time and part-time opportunities such as healthcare and customer service.
• When using the Internet to research jobs and apply online, include relevant keywords from the posting into your resume. That will help increase your chances of getting noticed.