Not Ready to Quit

The U.S. work force is maturing, and data suggest the trend will continue as members of the baby boomer generation – defined as those born between 1946 and 1964 – don’t seem focused on retiring at age 65.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected in its Winter 2009/2010 Occupational Outlook Quarterly that the number of people in the work force ages 55 to 64 would increase by 7 million by 2018, while the number of those 65 and older is expected to increase by almost 5 million. The BLS is predicting the work force overall will grow by 8 percent, but the increases in the baby boomer and older age groups are expected to be 33 percent and 78 percent, respectively.

And a March 2011 Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll showed that one in four boomers expect they’ll never retire.

At 64, Helen Brumitt is on the leading edge of her generation, and she’s also among those who have no intention of retiring any time soon.

“I could retire, and I guess the reason I decide not to do that … is I enjoy working and interacting with people and we’re a team here,” Brumitt said of her job in general services for the Missouri Department of Transportation, where she’s worked since 2007.

In October, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services named Brumitt its Outstanding Older Worker for the Greene County region, in recognition of the way she exemplifies the attributes and contributions of older members of Missouri’s work force and enhances the image of older workers in the state.

Among her accomplishments, in May 2011, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, graduating with honors from Columbia College after returning to college at the age of 61.

“Wouldn’t it be terrible if you had a door open for an opportunity and you didn’t have the education required?” she said. “It was one of the best things I ever did because it’s so satisfying personally to achieve a goal like that.”

Brumitt said that while she was recognized for her achievements, she thinks boomers in general have a lot to offer to the work force.

“We’re here every day, we’re here on time, we do a good job,” she said. “Boomers are people who have enjoyed serving others.”

More specifically, what baby boomers bring to the work force is maturity, said Mark Holmes, an employee-performance consultant and president of Springfield-based Consultant Board.

“I think experience leads to the ability to problem-solve effectively,” Holmes said, drawing on discussions he’s had with business leaders.

“This younger generation tends to not always have the same sense of completeness or interest in seeing that the job is carried through and done at the level of excellence that a lot of companies … expect and demand,” he added.

Holmes said there are several factors that keep baby boomers who could retire engaged in their careers, citing factors such as passion for the job, mental challenges, fulfillment and pay.

The AP-LifeGoesStrong.com poll showed 44 percent of boomers were not confident they would have the financial resources to retire comfortably, and 67 percent expected to work for pay after retirement from their primary careers.

Brumitt shares these concerns.

“It’s a scary time for everyone, really. I watched my stock shrink,” she said. “My parents lived to their late 80s. I might be facing 20 to 25 years of retirement, so the longer you put off that decision, the better,” she said.

Even though baby boomers might be motivated to keep working by one or more of those factors, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t challenges – or that they’ll be easy to retain.

The main challenge for baby boomers in the work force is working with and communicating with younger workers with different mindsets, Holmes said. Then, too, he noted that baby boomers have reached a point in their lives where they want some leeway in terms of work schedules – and for many, leisure time with children and grandchildren is a must.  

“There’s no question that the flexibility of hours is real important as we get on in our years,” Holmes said.[[In-content Ad]]