Survey: A Majority Of The First Boomers Are Still Working

By Staff Writer

February 26, 2009 at 07:00 PM

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Only 13% of the baby boomers born in 1946 have saved as much as they think they need to save to retire.

Researchers at the MetLife Mature Market Institute, Westport, Conn., have published that finding in a summary of results from a telephone survey of 1,072 boomers born in 1946 and a telephone survey of 1,000 boomers born in 1964.

About 2.7 million living U.S. residents were born in 1946, and 4.6 million were born in 1964, the researchers estimate.

Only 19% of the boomers born in 1946 have retired, and 50% continue to work full-time, the researchers report.

The 1946 vintage boomers said they will consider themselves to be "old" when they are 78.

When researchers polled the 1964 vintage boomers, they found that only 46% want to be called "baby boomers." Many of the others would prefer to be associated with Generation X. They said they will think of themselves as being old when they are 71.

The 1964 boomers will not be eligible to collect full Social Security benefits until they are 67, but they said they believe they will be able to retire when they are 65.

Only 36% of the 1964 boomers said their retirement savings are on schedule.

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