Whether for personal or financial reasons, many retired individuals are making the decision to step back into the job market. America is currently weathering a fiscal storm with a staggering 9.1% unemployment rate, as of December 2010.
“As the market is flooded with younger, college graduates searching for employment, it becomes harder for retirement-age individuals to find work,” said Charlie Barron an analyst Retirement Calculator. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t any jobs available, but there are a few questions to consider when choosing a career path at this point in your life.
Firstly, you should ask yourself why you have made this choice to rejoin the job market. Is this decision due to boredom, financially-based, or both? In either case, consider this when asking yourself how much you need to make. If you’re lucky enough that money isn’t the root cause of this move then you should ponder what kind of work would you find fulfilling.
Retail and sales positions seem to be the most common jobs for older workers today. Over 7 % of all workers over the age of 65 are involved in some sort of retail, sales, or secretarial position. This doesn’t mean that these are the only jobs available, but these positions are good initial leads when looking for work.
Retired individuals are also moving back towards higher education in growing numbers. Though this return is due to various reasons, universities are encouraging this return by offering more programs to assist non-traditional students with financial aid.
If you would rather not return to school, you could volunteer services to many excellent institutions and social programs. If you’d rather be compensated for your time AARP reported that a growing trend among older persons is a job as a bartender. This seems to be another safe haven for those looking to make money and stay active.
Just know that the options are out there for you. You just need to access your motives, give it serious thought, and research.