More than half of older workers delaying retirement

Any recruiter will have likely noticed that the age of the workforce, both within Australia and around the world, has increased in recent years. As the population lives longer, many people are continuing to stay in employment well into their retirement years, and therefore remaining a fixture of an employer's payroll software.

This was confirmed in recent research by Careerbuilder, which undertook research to understand how older workers are approaching the question of retirement.

The survey of US employees over the age of 60 revealed that more than half (53 per cent) are now seeking to stay in employment and are delaying the decision to stop working. A similar number are also looking to continue in a part-time or full-time role even once they have officially retired.

Interestingly, this is being met with a change in attitude from recruiters. Among employers who took part in the survey, 54 per cent hired a mature worker in 2014, a considerable improvement on the 48 per cent recorded in 2013.

This number is likely to grow even faster in coming months, with the research suggesting that 57 per cent are planning on hiring mature workers in the next 12 months. Among the most common positions for older workers to pursue are retail, customer service and consulting.

Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder, highlighted the benefits for employees of this shift in recruitment expectations.

"For those workers needing a new job near the end of their careers, employers are hiring seniors at a faster rate than we've seen in recent memory," stated Ms Haefner.

Clearly recruiters are continuing to invest in the skills and experience of older workers, with both full-time and part-time employment likely to appeal to older workers looking for a new position throughout 2015.