It's apparently looking less scary if a survey by
jobs site CareerBuilder.com is accurate. The annual retirement survey
finds the number of people age 60 or older who plan to put off retirement for a
few years is at a post-recession low. It's still pretty high – about 53% – but
it's down sharply from last year's 58% and 66% in 2010. There are some
encouraging economic factors contributing to this new-found confidence.
Rebounding from the
recession
For those who plan to keep working – or find new jobs – past
the traditional retirement age, there is good news. Companies seem to value
employees who have a little gray hair. Employers are hiring seniors at a faster
rate than in recent memory.
Deep scars
The survey shows the Great Recession has left deep scars on
older workers. Of those saying they plan to delay retirement, 75% attribute
their decision to the recession.
Twelve percent say they don’t think they will ever be able
to retire. That's up slightly from 11% last year. Of those delaying retirement,
nearly half think retirement is at least 5 years out.
Working after
retirement
Retirement, of course, isn't what it used to be and many who
are quitting their day jobs plan to find other work once they retire. More than
half of 60-plus workers say they'll work after retiring from their current
career, a sharp increase from the 45% who said that in last year's survey.
Of this group, 81% say they’ll most likely work part-time,
while 19% plan to continue working full-time. The new job might not pay as well
but might be a lot more personally gratifying. Bankrate.com lists 10
part-time jobs for retirees including consulting and customer service.
Whatever kind of post-retirement work people look for, the
Careerbuilder survey suggest they will find willing employers. Fifty-four
percent of private sector employers hired people age 50 or older in 2014 – up 6
points from last year’s 48% – and 57 percent plan to do so in 2015.
Click here to access the full
article on Consumer Affairs.