Boomers Good Work

There's a deep strain of idealism among boomers a Survey by MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures finds.

The survey shows that half of Americans ages  50 to 70 want jobs that contribute to the greater good now and in retirement.  They want jobs that give them a sense of purpose, that help those in need, that improve their communities and that make a difference.

Next year, boomers start turning 60.  Time for the next chapter in their lives.

They are the healthiest, best educated, and largest generation of Americans ever to reach this age.

Never before have so many had so much experience and, given the gains in longevity, so much time to use it

Boomers Guide to Good Work   An introduction that jobs that make a difference by Ellen Freudenheim.

Given the critical labor shortages facing education, health care, and social services, the fact that so many people are interested in good work "offers heartening evidence of a potential win-win opportunity of staggering proportions. We could be looking at a huge experience dividend," said Marc Freedman, president of Civic Ventures, a nonprofit think tank and incubator that works to make the aging of America an asset.

"Never before have so many Americans had so much experience and - given longer, healthier lifespans - so much time to use it," said Sibyl Jacobson, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "We have a chance to make the most of a huge human resource windfall by capturing years of investment in human and social capital."

Baby boomers, often maligned as self-centered, are ahead of the curve: 58 percent of those age 50 to 59 are interested in these "good work" jobs, with 21 percent saying that they're very interested.

Maybe those baby boomers  -and I'm one - will redeem themselves in their retirement. 

I wrote more on the optimistic view of the graying of America  at Future Tense.