Baby boomers, those born between Jan 1, 1946 and Dec 31st, 1964, have started to retire a couple of years ago. Sounds crazy? Well just add 65 to 1946 and presto…it’s 2011. Everyday more than 10,000 baby boomers will reach the age of 65 (Business Insider, Jan 5 2011)-the traditional age for retirement.

Historically, 65 has been a popular age for retirement. But, people are living longer and healthier lives and putting off retirement. The choice to retire is sometimes easy but can also be extremely difficult for others.Some will be ready for retirement and it will be an exciting and embracing change. But, for others it is not as easy.  In a U.S. News article “7 secrets to a happy retirement” (July 20, 2010), we learn about important factors that can distinguish whether a person who is ready and prepared for this stage in their life.  The factors to consider are: Good health, a significant other, a social network, not being addicted to the television, intellectual curiosity (hobbies), not being addicted to achievement (not being defined by your job) and last but not least having enough money. But, don’t despair. Many are not quite ready. Think about these factors and try to improve each one of those areas.

And if you don’t have all of these traits and circumstances, then you can consider a retirement that includes a little work.

According to Researchers at the University of Maryland (October 13, 2009 issue of Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association “People who work after retiring enjoy better health”)retirees that go back to work or transition from full-time into part-time, temporary or self employed jobs are healthier. They call this “Bridge employment”. The researchers say choosing a suitable type of bridge employment will help retirees transition better — and stay in better physical and mental health — into full retirement. Those that choose “Bridge employment” tend to function better than people who stop working altogether.

It is a good time to be thinking about working a little before completely retiring. There is a new trend emerging as employers are increasingly looking to hire temporary workers. Temporary work is a great option for those considering retirement but wanting to keep one foot in the corporate door. Choose when and where you want to work and slowly integrate yourself into the non-working.

One reason for the increased trend in temp work is that employers concerned with the talent gap, due in part to the retirement of millions of baby boomers, are increasingly considering filling the gap by hiring experienced retired people on a flexible basis. There are many benefits to the employer and leading companies are taking advantage. Finding people to work on temporary projects is becoming easier with the web and sites such as www.workhoppers.com.