A phenomenological study of Baby Boomer retirement--- Expectations, results, and implications

The first wave of Baby Boomers became eligible for early retirement in January 2008. This qualitative phenomenological study of 15 Baby Boomer retirees was conducted to understand the Baby Boomer retirees lived experiences and determine if they might want to return to work after they retired. Themes extracted from the semi-structured interview process included planning and expectations, how retirement stacked up against expectations, financial impact, interest in work in the future, and new skills or training wanted. Changing economic conditions mandate that individuals assume more responsibility for their retirement. Concurrently, organizational leadership must recognize that shifts in population growth in the U. S. may affect their staffing needs and that retirees are one viable source of these skills.