The economy continues to change the retirement timeline for many mature workers, leaving them with tough decisions about their futures, a survey by Chicago-based CareerBuilder has found. Seventy-two percent of surveyed workers over the age of 60 who are putting off their retirement said they are doing so because they can't afford to retire.

When comparing genders, the survey found that 76 percent of queried female workers over the age of 60 who said they are putting off retirement are doing so because they can't afford it, while 68 percent of males said the same. The survey was conducted last November and encompassed more than 700 U.S. workers age 60 and over.

Financial reasons aren't the only grounds for postponing retirement for workers over the age of 60, judging by the study findings. Seventy-one percent of the respondents said they either enjoy their job or enjoy where they work and don't want to leave it; 50 percent said they need the health insurance and other benefits they received; 24 percent said they fear retirement might just be boring; and 15 percent said they enjoy feeling needed.

"The economy continues to cast doubt in the minds of mature workers regarding executing on their future retirement plans. As a result, they are requesting to stay with employers a bit longer," says Jason Ferrara, senior career adviser at CareerBuilder. "Twenty-seven percent of hiring managers say they were approached about postponing retirements last year and were open to retaining mature workers. The key is to let your employer know sooner than later that you would like to put off your plans to leave."

PrimeCB.com, CareerBuilder's job Web site for mature workers, offers tips for those workers who may be planning to postpone retirement:

•Talk to your human-resources department. Keep an open and honest dialogue with your company as soon as you decide what to do about your retirement. HR departments can be a good resource if you are having trouble mapping out your future.

•Be open minded. Your employer might have been working around a pre-determined date you set. Therefore, deciding abruptly that you want to stay in the same job might not be in the cards. Talk to supervisors and if you have already been replaced on one assignment, determine what other projects might be a good fit for you.

•Network, network, network. While you try to figure out if you can stay with your current employer, it's in your best interest to interact socially and professionally to see if anyone knows of any other positions for which you should apply. If your goal is to have a job, your network might be able to help you find a new one.

•Mentor inside and outside your company. One of your greatest assets is your experience level and intellectual capital. Leverage this knowledge as a mentor to show your worth to your current employer and those you may work for in the future.

CareerBuilder says it works with many of the world's top employers, helping them target and attract employees and providing resources in areas such as employment branding and data analysis. It claims that its online career Web site, CareerBuilder.com, is the largest such site in the U.S., with more than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs, and 32 million resumes. Also, it says that more than 9,000 Web sites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites.