Workplace

“Forget retirement,” said Chris Farrell in BusinessWeek. The system that made retirement a possibility for most Americans has crumbled. It just “isn’t practical for most people” to stop working for as much as one-third of their lives. Most companies no longer offer pension plans based on salary and years of service. The promise of 401(k)s and other employee-funded retirement accounts is proving hollow. “Many aging workers simply can’t save enough” to retire on. And “even with Medicare coverage after age 65,” many retirees have to cover some of their own medical expenses. No wonder “survey after survey has shown that a majority of aging baby boomers” plans to keep working past age 65.

So where will they end up working? asked Peter Keating in SmartMoney. “You might contact your old company or similar businesses and try to land a consulting deal” that would tap the skills built up over your career. Or you might want to learn a new set of skills. There’s “a staggering need for nurses and medical technicians.” AARP is assembling a network of companies looking for older workers. Search the website of Adecco, the big international temp agency, for postings in your area. And “don’t turn up your nose” at working in a coffeehouse or a bookstore.

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