Careers and Employment – Baby Boomers Need Flexible Employment
Opportunities to Remain on Jobs
To those 78 million-strong Baby Boomers planning those golden years trips to Hawaii or the Cayman Islands, hold that sunset. While they represent as much as 40% of the American workforce, most of these boomers will very likely have to wait for their retirement dreams to come true continue to be working stiffs past the age of 65. As many as seven in ten boomers who are presently eligible for retirement plan to work beyond age 65, and many expect never to retire at all. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, the total rate of growth of the workforce is declining. By the year 2020, the rate will drop from the current 12% to a miniscule 4%. In a few years, employers will have to hire and keep mature workers happy within organizations and the workforce.
Despite the highly publicized research and available statistics, the prospective employee would be astounded to know that 80% of companies have failed to change the organizational structure or work atmosphere to make special provisions for Baby Boomers and older adult workers. Unless this situation changes, such companies can kiss their competitive edge goodbye. Workforce growth will also decline unless employers are friendlier to the increasing number of older workers.
To improve his/her chances of landing a new job, the over-50 candidate must become more savvy about the coming job shortage, make sure that the job they want is the right choice, and demonstrate to prospective employers that they are the right match for a company’s evolving needs.