Are workers really retiring anymore? A new study shows 57% of workers age 60+ say they will look for a new job after retiring from their current company, showing that retirement no longer means the end of one's career. The survey included more than 800 U.S. workers age 60 and older and more than 3,000 hiring managers and human resources professionals.
When asked how soon they think they can retire from their current job 11% of respondents say they don't think they'll ever be able to retire. Twenty six percent think they’ll be able to retire in one to two years.
At the same time an increasing number of mature workers are putting off retirement, more employers are looking to hire more seasoned staff. According to the survey, 43% of employers plan to hire workers age 50+ this year, while 41% say they hired workers age 50+ in 2011. Seventy-five percent of the employers surveyed would consider an application from an overqualified worker who is over 50, with 59% of those employers saying it's because mature candidates bring a wealth of knowledge to an organization and can mentor others.
"Whether mature workers are motivated by financial concerns or simply enjoy going to work every day, we're seeing more people move away from the traditional definition of retirement and seek 'retirement,'" says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "At the same time, employers are seeing the value these mature workers can bring to an organization, from their intellectual capital to their mentoring and training capabilities."
