A new survey of older Americans has found that 40 percent are working for pay in retirement or plan to after they retire, while an equal percentage do volunteer work or plan to.

Marc Freedman, the president of Civic Ventures, a nonprofit organization in California dedicated to expanding the social contributions of older Americans and the sponsor of the survey, said the poll showed that the concept of retirement as strictly leisure is outdated.

''The golden years are dead,'' Mr. Freedman said in an interview yesterday after the results of the poll were released. ''These are people who are demanding a more vital and engaged role in American life.''

The poll, however, indicated that older adults have a difficult time finding meaningful volunteer opportunities, and that they feel that their skills are not valued by organizations.

''People are tired of stuffing envelopes,'' Mr. Freedman said, adding that his own grandmother, a retired clothing store manager, was frustrated by the only volunteer job she could find, pushing a gift cart in a Philadelphia hospital.

The poll, which surveyed 803 men and women ages 50 to 75 and was conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates in Washington , was commissioned to explore the role of older people in American society.

One thing the poll found is that older Americans, whether they are 55 or 75, hate the label ''the elderly.'' ''Elderly'' was cited by 38 percent of those surveyed as the term they dislike most, followed by ''Golden Agers,'' at 20 percent.

''Seniors'' was preferred by 32 percent of those surveyed, and 35 percent preferred either ''older adults'' or ''older Americans.''

When asked to choose between two approaches to retirement, 65 percent of those surveyed (61 percent of retirees and 70 percent of nonretirees) agreed that it is ''a time to begin a new chapter in life by being active and involved, starting new activities, and setting new goals.''

Just 28 percent (32 percent of retirees and 23 percent of nonretirees) chose retirement as ''a time to take it easy, take care of yourself, enjoy leisure activities, and take a much-deserved rest from work and daily responsibilities.''

Mr. Freedman said the poll showed that a new vision of retirement is emerging in contrast to the leisure years promoted by marketers and developers starting in the 1950's and 1960's. He noted that the ''golden years'' was a phrase coined by the Del Webb Corporation, builders of the first large-scale retirement community, Sun City, which opened outside Phoenix , Ariz.

A few years after the Sun City opening, another huge retirement community began attracting buyers in Laguna Hills , Calif. , with its name, Leisure World, echoing the Del Webb philosophy.

In contrast, the poll confirms earlier surveys that most Americans stay in their homes when they retire, rather than move. Seventy-three percent of those surveyed said they either have not moved or do not plan to move to a new home or community during their retirement.

While they have diverse plans and goals for retirement, a large majority say they will carve out a new path for later life, with 80 percent rejecting the idea that ''my retirement is or will be similar to my parents' retirement.''

Their attitudes toward retirement are hopeful, with 81 percent volunteering a specific positive impression of this stage in life, including freedom from job pressures, having time to do what they want, and enjoying life. Only 19 percent volunteered a negative impression of retirement, with those views stemming largely from being perceived by others as ''over the hill'' or ''past their prime,'' though they also expressed concerns about health and financial security.

According to the poll, 57 percent of retirees and 62 percent of nonretirees say they have volunteered or done community service work in the last year. The poll found that older Americans are most interested in raising money for charities like churches, schools and universities, helping the elderly and working with children and youth.

As for role models, 43 percent of those surveyed held up former President Jimmy Carter, who teaches Sunday school, writes books, builds houses with Habitat for Humanity, and travels around the world as an unofficial goodwill ambassador, as the best example of the ideals they seek in retirement. Other role models listed were former General Colin Powell and John Glenn, the retired astronaut who returned to space last year at the age of 77.

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