The Encore Career is emerging as a major social trend.

There has been plenty of anecdotal evidence that people are launching a new stage of work that combines social impact with personal meaning and continued income. Now a nationwide survey shows these pioneers may represent millions of others, and may be followed by tens of millions more.

The 2008 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Encore Career Survey found that between 6 percent and 9.5 percent of Americans ages 44 to 70 are already in their encore careers, even if they don’t yet use that term.

It's been widely reported that boomers will continue to work past
retirement age, but it hasn't been clear what kind of work they will do.
The 2008 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Encore Careers Survey
released this morning found that between 5.3 and 8.4 million Americans ages
44 to 70 have already launched "encore careers" that combine income and
personal meaning with social impact. And of those not already in encore
careers, nearly 50 percent say they want to have one.

In other words, more than half of our nation's 80 million baby boomers
are using or want to use their talents to improve society by working in
education, public service, health care and nonprofit jobs.

It's mind-boggling to think of all the good these individuals could do. Read more.