A survey released today found that 60 percent of workers over the age of 60 are putting off retirement plans and are continuing to work to help offset the lowered value of their long-term savings plans, the Phoenix Business Journal reported.

“Mature workers may be feeling the pinch of this difficult economy more than others because of their impending plans for retirement,” said Jason Ferrara, senior career adviser at CareerBuilder.

According to the survey, which was conducted by CareerBuilder in late November, 11 percent of the respondents who said they planned to delay retirement said the losses they have incurred may mean they will never retire. In contrast, 24 percent said they could make up the losses by working one or two years longer, and 73 percent said they believed it would take them up to six years of extra work to recoup the losses they have incurred.

CareerBuilder encourages older workers to engage in online networking and to show resiliency at their current workplace, using what they have learned from previous recessions to survive this one.

“Mature workers who are returning to the work force to offset their retirement losses will likely encounter many of the same challenges that workers of any age are facing today,” Ferrara said. “However, their level of knowledge and experience and network of professional contacts will work to their advantage in a competitive job market.”