Survey: Retirement May Be Becoming Thing of the Past

According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder and PrimeCB.com, 57% of workers age 60 and over said they would look for a new job after retiring from their current company. The survey, which included more than 800 U.S. workers age 60 and older and more than 3,000 hiring managers and human resources professionals, also found that 11% said they don’t think they’ll ever be able to retire.

From the employer side of the job market, CareerBuilder reports that 43% of employers plan to hire workers age 50 plus this year, while 41% said they hired workers age 50 plus in 2011. Overall, 75% of the employers surveyed would consider an application from an overqualified worker who is 50 plus, with 59% of them saying 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 ‘rehirement,’” said 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. In a highly competitive job market, mature workers can use these skills to their advantage.”

Source: CareerBuilder Press Release (February 16, 2012)