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Older employers want to work after retirement

Posted on November 1st, 2012 Read time: 1 minutes

Retirement doesn't necessarily mean the end of a career. One study found that 67 percent of workers ages 60 and older would look for a new job after retiring from their current positions.

The study, conducted by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder, surveyed 800 U.S. workers ages 60 and older and more than 3,000 hiring professionals. When asked how soon they plan to retire from their current positions, more than one-quarter of workers stated they plan to work between one and two more years. Many responded they'd stay for up to six more years and one in 10 respondents said they don't think they'll ever be able to retire.

"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, CareerBuilder human resources vice president.

Meanwhile, especially during the holiday season, employers are hiring for contract workers. About 75 percent of employer respondents would consider an overqualified worker who is 50 or older.

"Employers are seeing the value these mature workers can bring to an organization, from their intellectual capital to their mentoring and training capabilities," Haefner said. "In a highly competitive job market, mature workers can use these skills to their advantage."

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