Careers

The holiday season is barely two months away, and for many, it can be a stressful time full of shopping in packed malls, shorter days and snowfall.

But if you enjoy the festive season, have you ever considered making a little extra money off the holidays?

If the economy in North America still seems to be sputtering almost five years after the Great Recession began, and the unemployment rate in both the United States and Canada are stubbornly high, there are always good jobs to be found; it just takes a little searching.

By now, it’s a familiar refrain: more Boomers and seniors are having financial difficulties, and as a result, are scaling back their retirement plans and are working longer to help pay the bills.

And while there are many seniors who have decided to work longer and delay retirement, while most still have opted for retirement as early as possible, a third group is now emerging: those who look to retire early, but occasionally return to work. These people are part-time retirees.

It’s not hard to find doom-and-gloom articles when it comes to retirement. Will you have any money? Will you retire penniless? Who will help support you? But one recent article in US News and World Report is suggesting that your retirement will probably be just fine.

According to the news source, there are eight positive trends in retirement:

If you listen to the experts, North America is facing a dire labour shortage.

“There are now more people retiring out of the workforce than there are younger workers entering it,” says Sarah Welstead of Retired Worker, a website for retired people who want to work on a part-time or contract basis. “Employers who used to resist hiring older workers are now realizing that they represent a great source of highly skilled, experienced and flexible employees that they simply can’t afford to overlook any more.”