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Boomers and the "Hot" Job Market

OntheClockWith the unemployment rate at its lowest point in 18 years, the job market is "sizzling hot," writes career/retirement coach Nancy Collamer. Reporting on a work conference sponsored by Indeed.com, Collamer heard that the job market is tight and talent is hard to find, although wages are generally not going up in keeping with the labor demand.

Still, a robust job market should be good news for Boomers, shouldn't it? Well, yes and no. On the positive side, a Boomer with experience in a field considered desirable by employers may have an easier time than ever securing a part-time or full-time position. On the negative side, there is still plenty of age discrimination, and there is little Boomers can do about it. The fact is employers can interview all they want for an open position, and once they have several candidates available, more often than not they will pick younger over older.

Dust off your resume if you're in a job that you'd like to leave, or if you want to re-enter the workforce. If an employer cannot fill a position and your background and experience are an excellent fit, the market is such that you could be offered a full-time position. Keep in mind, however, that your salary expectations may have to be adjusted. Also, there is always the possibility that you can work part-time or become a contract worker if you don't want a full-time position or, at the very least, you may be able to negotiate flexible hours.

Interestingly, this might be an ideal time to see if your former employer needs help. In an article for The New York Times, Claudia Dreifus profiles several retirees who returned to work years after retiring because their employers had open positions they needed to fill. For example, a 60-year old registered nurse who retired was rehired by a hospital as a freelance nurse for 24 hours per week at a respectable $60 per hour.

A booming job market could be good for some Boomers -- but not for all. That's why it still makes a lot of sense to explore freelance work or self-employment as an option if you want to continue to work.

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