Many Boomers Want or Need to Work Past Retirement

Posted on March 3, 2006

An InformationWeek article says the U.S. workforce is aging and many of the workers may want or need to continue working past retirement.

Within the next four years, nearly a third of all U.S. workers--including tens of thousands of tech pros--will be over the age of 50, leaving a potential gap of business-tech and vertical industry skills, which could also be worsened on the front end by a shortage of young people entering the technology fields.
Nearly two dozen industry associations, ranging from technology to trucking organizations, have bonded together to create a new Alliance for an Experienced Workforce, a collaborative effort aimed at getting employers to develop strategies of keeping aging American workers viable in the workplace.
"The older worker brings a benefit of knowing how things are done at a company and in an industry, and why," says John Venator, president and CEO of the Computing Technology Industry Association, a member of the new Alliance. CompTIA is encouraging employers to offer older IT workers programs, such as skills certification and training opportunities, to help those pros acquire new tech skills that can complement their decades of industry and business experience, boosting their workforce relevance in the years to come.
In addition to skills training for "hot" IT jobs, including those currently in-demand related to RFID, project management, and security, Venator says employers also need to consider other perks that might entice older tech pros to stay in the workforce, including job-sharing, flex-time, and part-time work.

The article also cites a 2003 AARP survey that found 80% of AARP members either want or need part-time or full-time work past the retirement age. The retirement age is another thing that will probably change things for workers. A US biologist believes the retirement age may jump to 85 by 2050 as people start living longer lives.