AARP Recareering Study

AARP recently published a report called "Older Workers on the Move: Recareering in Later Life". Research has shown that many older Americans do not transition from full employment to retirement all at once. Instead, many people take "bridge" jobs before full retirement. This report used data from the Health and Retirement Study and focused on a group of workers (aged 51-55) from 1992 through 2006. Highlights of the study include:

• More than 8 out of 10 workers left their employer by 2006 and 43% of these workers had started a new job by 2006.
• One in four full-time workers lost their jobs due to business closings or were laid off.
  
• Workers who retired and then started new jobs were nearly twice as likely to change careers as those workers who had been laid off.
  
• Nearly two-thirds of workers who changed jobs also changed occupations.
• New jobs were usually less stressful and offered flexible work schedules.
• Hourly wages were lower for the new jobs.
• Nearly a quarter of the workers who changed jobs lost their health insurance.
  

The full study can be found here.