The baby boomer generation of 78 million Americans is reaching retirement age, causing many experts to call for encore careers. While the boomer generation retiring may be viewed by younger workers as opportunity for quick advancement, the actions of such a large group of experienced workers could have detrimental effects for U.S. businesses. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the country will be short 10 million skilled workers by 2011. If you add unskilled workers into the equation, the United States will be short 21 million workers by 2015, as the number of workers ages 25-44 decreases.
Losing experienced workers over the age of 50 may result in:
- Shortages in skilled worker and managerial positions.
- A loss of institutional knowledge to the business or company.
- The loss of expertise and experience.
- A leadership void in the workplace.
Encore careers are one way that the skill and leadership ability of baby boomers can be retained in the workforce. Encore careers often involve training in a new field, pursuing a hobby as a career, or becoming an entrepreneur.While many baby boomers state that they will have to continue working for financial reasons, others simply desire to stay busy or work for pleasure. The traditional stigma associated with aging no longer applies, and encore careers that brings pleasure as well as income are beneficial for all parties.
0 comments:
Post a Comment