Don't retire, work for Uncle Sam
The federal government is looking at a staffing crunch as a huge wave of employees readies to retire in the next five years. It could be a great opportunity for older workers. Danielle Karson reports.
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Scott Jagow: The federal government is about to have a ton of job openings -- a report out this morning says Uncle Sam will need to fill thousands of jobs over the next several years. And for some, this could be a golden opportunity. Danielle Karson reports from Washington.
Danielle Karson: The non-profit group Partnership for Public Service surveyed nearly three-dozen federal agencies to find out what kind of job shortages they face.
Max Stier: Our federal government is facing a retirement tsunami. Over 500,000 federal employees are likely to retire within the next five years.
The Partnership's Max Stier says the federal government should tap into an overlooked talent pool: baby boomers who want to work beyond retirement, but haven't considered a second career with Uncle Sam.
Stier: Americans are living longer, they're living healthier. They want to work in jobs where they can make a difference -- and the federal government is a perfect match for them.
The AARP's Deborah Russell says with jobs available all over the world, working for Uncle Sam could be just the ticket.
Deborah Russell: I think just the notion of all the different possibilities within the federal government will be attractive to the mature workforce.
Over the next two years, the departments of Defense and Homeland Security alone will need to fill more than 80,000 jobs.
In Washington, I'm Danielle Karson for Marketplace.
