A Future With "Retirement Jobs?"

The Miami Herald says late-career Baby Boomers are trying to craft "retirement jobs" -- real work with extra flexibility.

The idea is not yet widespread. The article notes that only 30% of employers currently offer older workers reduced hours, and only 19% more are willing to consider the idea. Many employers consider middle-aged workers unduly expensive.

To the extent there is a trend, it will benefit those who will be part of the boomer brain drain as older workers in knowledge-intensive industries retire. Nurses and lawyers, as noted in the piece, will have the "retirement job" option. Those who rely on their physical skills won't -- unless they strike out on their own.

But there is something to this. As Social Security becomes less trustworthy as a source of retirement income, and demand from employers increases with the loss of experienced Baby Boomers, expect to see more such partial retirements.

It's the work-life balance issues affecting 20-somethings ... shifted forward thirty or so years.

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For more, check out our "Job and Career" section. We noted yesterday that older workers -- and by "older" we mean 40+ -- face a tough job market (USA Today: Boomers May Not Be Able To Find Work After 60) and face discrimination in hiring (Age Discrimination: Middle-Aged Workers Face It Too)