Boomers Want Jobs; Employers Want Experience

Cathie Ramey
RedwoodAge.com 

In an ironic twist of fate, American businesses are scrambling to replace retiring boomers while many boomers are looking to put off retirement by finding a new job.

According to a poll by infoUSA.com, boomers who want to work in retirement shouldn’t have a hard time finding a job. There’s even a new web site designed to match boomers with employers.

When the poll asked over 1,000 US businesses, "How hard is it to find qualified employees?," 66 percent said it was "very difficult" and 28 percent said it was "somewhat difficult.” Only 6 percent said they had "no problem" finding experienced workers.

For 77 million boomers, many of whom plan to continue working past retirement age, this is good news. Boomers see working in retirement as a natural means of staying active,  making money and earning health benefits until they qualify for Medicare at age 65.

Uncle Sam is feeling the brain drain too, with more than one-third of full-time federal workers on track to retire in the next five years. To address this problem, the federal government is offering retirees second careers in public service. Agencies expect vacancies in the vital areas of information technology, engineering, legal and accounting, often staffed by older workers.

The Partnership for Public Service, a program that matches boomers with career openings in the federal government, hopes to fill 7,950 vacancies in the Treasury Department for Internal Revenue Service agents and tax examiners alone.

New Work Style
As the demand for mature workers grows, however, the need to accommodate their work preferences will grow, too.

According to a survey by Robert Half International, companies will need to offer retirement-ready boomers a new kind of work experience; one that includes flexible work schedules and part-time opportunities.

When asked what they’re looking for in a retirement job, older workers have said they’re ready for a change. While they want to keep working, many want to work at something new. Some are going back to school to “re-career,” and others are becoming entrepreneurs.

Besides staying active and making money, boomers see a new work experience as a way to avoid boredom, find intellectual challenges or be productive. For some, giving back to the community is a priority; careers in teaching, health care and social services are high on their priority list. 

It appears that boomers will reinvent retirement just as they have reinvented many other social practices. Whether workers postpone retirement for fulfillment or to build a bigger retirement nest egg, businesses will likely benefit.