Affluent Boomer Women in this New Environment

Do you believe you are financially comfortable? Possibly more than comfortable?

You were able to work less or not work at all while you raised families or cared for an aging parent.

That was then, this is now. This is the New Environment. You may not realize it but 78% of the job lay offs have been men.

So, what does that mean for you? It means you are returning to the work force in droves. You are putting on your suits and earning an income, even though this may not have been part of the plan.

This is especially true if you live in the Northeast or the Midwest (both 38%) and, least of all, in the South (19 %.)

As a woman you are more likely to change your retirement plans than men are. Women are more likely to delay retirement plans as well as reduce spending. Making all-around life style changes appears to be easier and more acceptable to women.

Is this because women feel more stress around their economic future than men? Many women, even affluent women, have the fear of becoming a ‘bag lady.’ It’s rarely that this is heard from men.

Many women in affluent families are well educated and had high paying jobs prior to leaving the workforce. They are doctors, lawyers, or other professionals as well as management or entrepreneurs.

Women who leave the workforce for a period of time are punished by their paychecks. For every two years a woman is out of the workforce, she loses 10% of her salary. However, that is not preventing women from returning to work as their partners are laid off or wages are cut. Even the threat of this occurring is enough to send women back to the working world.

In the past it has been said that the workplace rejected women with their stringent rules and lack of flexibility around parenting while continuing to work. It has also been said that some women chose to reject the workplace and regardless of education and degrees, chose to stay home and parent.

Sadly, there has often been little support for women, from women, who chose one option or another.

Now that we are in a New Environment and more affluent women are returning to the workplace out of current necessity or fear of what’s ahead, the tides are changing.
It’s no surprise that women are returning to the workplace given the current economic times. Well, it may not be surprising when you look at the financial facts and figures, but it may be far from what was expected in the blueprint that had been originally planned.

It’s no surprise either that boomer women are stepping up to the plate when needed. It’s what you do.