Boomers’ New Jobs Give Back
Baby boomers who came of age in the era of John F. Kennedy’s civic call to arms are now, in the second half of their lives, not just asking themselves what they can do for their country, but they’re actually doing it.
A new telephone and Internet survey, touted as the first of its kind, indicates millions of boomers are either quitting their old jobs or coming out of retirement to pursue new careers that not only give them personal meaning but also contribute to society.
The survey by the non-profit MetLife Foundation and San Francisco Civic Ventures, a national think tank, shows 6% to 9.5% of adults age 44 to 70 are pursuing “encore careers” that give them both an income and meaning. That is 5.3 million to 8.4 million people. And half of those not already in encore careers say they are interested in moving into such jobs.
Researchers were surprised by the high numbers, says Allan Rivlin of Peter D. Hart Research Associates, which conducted the survey. He believes the findings are evidence of a “growing social phenomenon. Millions of Americans are already blazing a trail and working in encore careers.”
Encore careers are defined as those that combine income, meaning and social purpose. They include jobs in the medical, education and non-profit sectors, such as teachers, social entrepreneurs and nurses. These are fields already facing job shortages, says Marc Freedman, CEO of Civic Ventures and author of Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life.
Photo by shlomaster.
cassy on June 25th, 2008 10:45 pm
We live not only to survive but to give meaning of our life.I think this people who are moving in this job, already think that while working, they should also enjoy.
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