Jan 26, 2010

Is Retirement Job an Oxymoron



According to the Canadian Labor Department, the number of unemployed workers age 55 to 64 has nearly tripled since the great recession began, to about 1.6 million of the nation’s 15.4 million unemployed as of November 2009.

What's more, these unemployed job seekers say it is even harder for them to find work because of what they see as age bias.

According to these recent reports, unemployment rates for older Canadian workers reached record levels last year, partly because fewer employees eligible for early retirement benefits are dropping out of the labor force.

The lack of retirement savings and concerns by soon-to-be retirees about whether they will have enough retirement income to live comfortably in later life appear to have discouraged early retirement.

Canadian baby boomers are now remaining in the labor force and searching for work after they lose their jobs.

Even the so-called retired are looking for so-called retirement jobs.

On that note, is "retirement job" an oxymoron?

Some of my favorite quotes relating to unemployment in retirement or otherwise:


    Gainfully unemployed, very proud of it, too.
    — Charles Baxter

    Every prosperous person who does not work has a creative scheme that does.
    — John Otway

    If I wanted to become a tramp, I would seek information and advice from the most successful tramp I could find. If I wanted to become a failure, I would seek advice from men who have never succeeded. If I wanted to succeed in all things, I would look around me for those who are succeeding, and do as they have done."
    — Joseph Marshall Wade





1 comment:

Marie Leonard said...

More and more Canadians are turning to the internet as they retire. Why? In the hopes of making that extra buck that will take them just a step above poverty or give them a holiday they couldn't afford.

Retirement savings used to be something we all took for granted, but no longer.

This retired gal looks to the internet where you can succeed if you learn from those that have been there and done that.

Not everyone can be trusted.