Post-retirement boomers find fulfillment in returning to work

By Pat Johnson
Des Moines (Iowa) Register

Baby boomers reaching retirement age are returning to the workplace in growing numbers despite officially ending their careers.

Some are bored; some feel they have more to contribute. Many continue to work during their golden years to supplement Social Security income or to get benefits, like health insurance.

And while seniors are finding full- and part-time jobs a fulfilling way to spend their retirement years, companies also are benefiting from their experience, dependability and work ethic.

"Retirees make wonderful workers," said Cathy Cole, chairwoman of the marketing department at the University of Iowa. "They are reliable, have good values and often are only looking for part-time jobs."

AARP, the association for retired people, found in a survey conducted last year that folks who were about to retire or who were already retired wanted to remain in the workforce to stay mentally and physically active, feel useful and interact with other people.

AARP also found that 70 percent of workers surveyed who were not yet retired planned to work during their retirement years or never retire. And about 50 percent expected to be working in their 70s.

Si Ewing, 72, has been operating an employment service for about 35 years and has no plans to retire.

"If I quit, I'll die," Ewing said. "I haven't achieved my objective of getting more diversity into the workplace. That's what I want to do."

He has a few retirement-age clients who are looking for jobs similar to the ones they left. Their searches have met with little success.

"I tell them to keep trying and maybe alter their objectives," Ewing said. "If necessary, they may have to take something that they are more than qualified for."

The AARP survey showed that many retirees returning to work have jobs in teaching, office support, craft work, retail sales, consulting, farming, nursing and health services.

Mike Lynch, president of the Manpower office in Des Moines, said retirees often come to his temporary placement business for work because it offers them flexibility.

"It's a natural fit for them, especially for those who want to work a month and then travel and then come back for another assignment," he said.

Manpower also runs a program in cooperation with Principal Financial Group Inc. in which it places Principal retirees in jobs at the insurance and financial services company. The program, called Happy Returns, allows those retirees to maintain their pension benefits and still work for Principal.

The retirees either return to their old jobs or move to another part of the company, said Beth Raymond, a vice president of human resource services for Principal. Retirees can work full or part time, with many choosing to work about 30 hours a week, she said.

"Obviously, these people have proven work ethics and have been producing and doing well," she said.

Helen VanScoyk of Des Moines had worked at Principal for 25 years when she officially retired at age 65 in June 2000. Without skipping a beat, VanScoyk returned to Principal in her old department and eventually transferred to a new assignment in the residential mortgage division, where she works today.

"My husband and I always planned to continue working after retirement," said VanScoyk, now 69. "We decided we'd keep working as long as our health was good. It keeps us more active."

Her husband, Paul, 71, works part time in the meat department at a local grocery store. He had worked for a meat retail outlet before retiring.

The extra income has afforded the couple an opportunity to travel, including an Alaskan cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary.