The growing number of older workers isn't due simply to needing work: many want to stay part of the labour force. As Marc Freedman pointed out In The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife (PublicAffairs), people in their 50s and 60s today are looking at a 30-year retirement. He argued it is time to put new social structures in place to engage aging workers in "encore" or second careers that provide personal meaning, as well as a pay cheque and social purpose. But some argue that encore careers are more about meeting the economic needs of society. So what do encore careers mean to the over-60s? New research by Mary Simpson of the University of Waikato and colleagues sheds light on the experience of workers aged 55 to 84 years. The findings show encore careers hold a different meaning for each person. The research was published in the journal Work, Employment and Society (June 2012) . AHB reached Dr. Simpson in Hamilton, New Zealand. Ruth Dempsey: The number of older people in the workforce has jumped in New Zealand since compulsory retirement was abolished in 1998. Why is that? Mary Simpson: Two reasons spring to mind. First, many people reach 65 years of age and want to continue working, whether in full-or part-time work. Second, with the removal of the formal barrier, compulsory retirement, these people are now able to carry on in their existing work or take up different roles in the workforce. RD: So how do