A growing number of seniors finding jobs are doing so by joining the gig economy.
According to a 2017 Prudential Financial survey, around 31 percent of gig economy workers are baby boomers, and 34 percent of those workers are retired.
The flexibility offered by contract jobs is attractive to retirees, allowing them to set their own schedule, and explore work opportunities in a range of surprising places. A UK study by insurance company Zurich surveyed 4,200 people on workplace culture and found that this flexibility is key to the appeal of the gig economy.
The gig economy offers a surprising variety of jobs, meaning seniors finding jobs like that it’s a way to put their skills to use.
Ella Tyler, 67, found herself in need of some extra cash after her husband died. A former lawyer, she had given up the practice when she moved to Texas after getting married, but now found herself seeking extra work.
After noticing an ad for law tutors with an online education platform, she jumped at the opportunity, and now gets paid up to $27 an hour to help students prepare for the Law School Admission Test.
She told CNBC how the opportunity has helped her get back in touch with her professional skills, and helped her regain confidence in her abilities: “As you get older, you wonder if you still have it,” Tyler said. “And yes, I do. So there’s a little bit of an ego satisfaction to it.”
As the gig economy continues to grow, retirees have a larger pool of jobs to choose from — creating a higher chance that they will find a role that matches their time and resources.
Here are a few roles that might suit retirees in the gig economy:
