The “Boomer-ang”
How will Boomers handle the retirement boomerang?
Almost two years ago, I wrote a blog post entitled “The Retirement Boomerang.” In that post, I cited a study that showed almost half of workers age 65 or above who retired “boomeranged” back to work. They didn’t necessarily want to return to the same job, but they felt a sense of loss when they stopped working.
Many Boomers leave the workforce and then seek out a new career, or a second act, rather than pursue traditional retirement. My wife and I experienced this phenomenon when we left busy professional careers. We weren’t ready to kick back our heels and drink lemonade just yet; instead of retiring, we started a small business together and ran it for about seven years before selling it. That was a great transition that eased us into a slower pace of life. Now I work part-time as a freelance writer and have time for volunteering and recreation. Like many Boomers, I take advantage of skills honed during my worklife, but I apply them to things I want to do on my own terms rather than pursuing a full-time professional career. I’ve “rewired” instead of being retired.
Of course, things have significantly shifted during the pandemic for many of us. Some Boomers who were planning to retire may be experiencing a whole different kind of boomerang — having been thrown out of the workforce, they are thrown right back into…
