About 78 million boomers will begin hitting retirement age in 2011 most likely causing workforce shortages. While some boomers are expected to keep working, others will leave current jobs for less-stressful careers, seek part-time or consulting positions, or retire. We may soon see a trend of employers tapping into the pool of people who took time off from their careers to raise children, to travel, and/or to pursue their wildest dreams.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics says the growth of the labor force will slow in the years ahead, due to aging boomers, the leveling off of women’s workforce participation after years of remarkable increases, and the much smaller size of the baby-busters generation.

According to the report Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Women on the Road to Success by the Center for Work-Life Policy and the Harvard Business Review, many women who take time off for their families want to reenter the workforce. 37 percent of highly qualified women leave the workforce for some period of time and 93 percent of them want to come back (although 95 percent would not consider returning to their previous employers). Only 74 percent succeed and only 40 percent return to full-time jobs. Only 24 percent of men take time off, and mostly to train or prepare for new jobs.

To confront slowed workforce growth, employers may also become more flexible to attract more workers. Roberta Chinsky Matuson, principal of Human Resource Solutions says employers will learn to emphasize results over hours as a measure of productivity. “I think companies will have to focus more on results and less on face time. It’s not all about the number of hours you are in the office. It’s about if the work gets done,” she said.

Be prepared to demonstrate your aptitude in getting that work done. Often people who reenter the workforce are not offered a job at the same level or higher than before. Tom Gimbel, CEO of The LaSalle Network, states “They can’t pull in what they were earning five years ago or what someone who was doing it all along earns.” Technology and job skills can change rapidly over the course of a couple of years.

On average, women leave their careers for 2.2 years. During this time, they lose 18 percent of their earning power. This figure increases to 37 percent if the time off is three years or longer. Many full-time moms acquire skills that could prove valuable in the workplace but often go overlooked. Moms reentering the workforce should underscore such skills, which may include managing household budgets and serving in leadership positions in community.

Resume gaps are quite common these days with layoffs, an increased number of women staying home to raise children, and work/life balance becoming more and more important. When reentering the workforce, explain the gap in your resume. Detail the positive aspects of your absence from the workforce and how it will make you a more valuable employee.