Civic Ventures Research: 9 Million Americans, Ages 44 to 70, Now in Encore Careers with Purpose and Passion [Health & Beauty Close – Up]

New research from Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose, shows that as many as 9 million people ages 44 to 70 are already in encore careers that combine personal meaning, continued income and social impact.

That's up from an estimated 8.4 million in 2008.

According to a release, another 31 million people, ages 44 to 70, are interested in finding encore careers. Together, those currently in encore careers and those interested in encore careers represent 40 percent - or two in five - of all Americans ages 44 to 70.

"The survey provides new evidence that what many people want from work changes after midlife," said Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures and author of The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife. "In the new, encore stage of life between midlife and true old age, many want work that has deeper personal meaning and that connects them to something larger than themselves."

The new study, Encore Career Choices: Purpose, Passion and a Paycheck in a Tough Economy, was funded by MetLife Foundation and conducted by Penn Schoen Berland.

Survey results do show tempered expectations in light of the current economy - as well as a kind of resilience and an unwillingness to give up on efforts to create a better world for future generations.

A few key statistics:

-Competing visions. Nearly two in three people (64 percent) see the next stage of life as a time to keep working, with nearly equal numbers saying it's a time to use their skills and experiences to help others in paid or volunteer positions (31 percent) versus a time to simply cover expenses and maintain health insurance (33 percent).

-Tough time for a change. Half of Americans between the ages of 44 and 70 (51 percent) say they are very concerned that the state of the economy makes this a difficult time to make a change to an encore career. Still, one in four (27 percent) of those interested in encore careers say they are very likely to make the switch in the next five years.

-Longer working lives. The online portion of the research suggests the impact of encore careers on longer working lives could be dramatic. Those currently in encore careers expect to work to 69.1 years on average and those interested in encore careers expect to work nearly as long, to 68.6 - for both groups, 3 ? years longer than they thought three years ago.

-Concern about future generations. Contrary to stereotypes about boomers, concern about future generations is high. Nearly three in four respondents (73 percent) expect that children in the U.S. will grow up to be worse off than people are now. Nearly as many (70 percent) say it is very important to them personally to leave the world a better place.

-Intensity of interest. One in four of all respondents (25 percent) rate their interest in encore careers at eight or higher on a 10-point scale in 2011, down from one in three (34 percent) in the 2008 Encore Career Survey, also released by MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures. Yet a majority of those who remain very interested (62 percent) state that their interest has grown in the past three years.

-A choice for all income groups. There is little difference in economic circumstances between those who are interested in encore careers and those who are not. Both groups have median incomes of $45,000 to $59,999 per year. About half of both groups report household assets of less than $150,000, and roughly one-third in both groups say their assets do not exceed $50,000.

-Hours in encores. Those in encore careers now perform an estimated 16.7 billion hours of labor each year in education, health care, government and nonprofit organizations.

"We are beginning to see the years beyond midlife - the encore stage of life - as a time for new, purposeful work that would improve the quality of life for people of all ages and in communities across the country," said Dennis White, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation.

"The tens of millions who are interested in encore careers want some level of financial security and the opportunity to work for the greater good," said Freedman. "As a society, we need to do more to help them achieve both goals. When we do, we will tap into a huge new source of talent to help solve our greatest social problems."

Last week, Intel announced it would do its part to help thousands of its retirees prepare for encore careers. The company said it will offer all U.S. employees who are eligible to retire the chance to apply for Encore Fellowships - paid, part-time, yearlong assignments working at local nonprofits.

Report Information:

www.encore.org/research

((Comments on this story may be sent to health@closeupmedia.com))