3 Reasons Middle-Class Americans Say They Will Work in Retirement (and They’re Not All Bad)
Written by
Chris Adam
Edited by
Nicholas Morine
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Some people envision retirement as a time to quit working, start relaxing and begin taking those trips they’ve longed to enjoy for years.
But for others, thoughts of retirement still include being able to work. During retirement, however, working may often — though not always — be considered on one’s own terms.
Hoping To Stay Active
According to a retirement survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, 81% of those surveyed who are in the middle class and expect to retire after age 65 and/or plan to work in retirement cited healthy aging as a reason for doing so. That’s even more than the 79% who cited financial reasons for doing so.
The top healthy aging-related reason cited by respondents to keep working in retirement or put off retirement was to be active. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they wanted to stay active by putting off retirement or by working after they retire.
Having a job may also be a good motivator in the morning to keep getting up and doing things. According to AARP, it can give you a sense of purpose in retirement and perhaps even feel younger in your later years.
Wanting To Stay Alert
The second most popular healthy aging-related reason cited by the respondents was to keep their brain alert. Forty-six percent of respondents said they planned to keep working for this reason.
According to WebMD, one of the advantages to working in retirement is keeping your mental sharpness. “When you stay busy and continue challenging yourself, you’re less likely to get dementia,” per WebMD. “The key is to do something that keeps you busy but doesn’t add extra stress to your life.”
Perhaps you want to consider looking for a different type of job in retirement. This could help your brain even more. “You can get a particular kind of benefit by switching to a different type of job or role: Learning new things — psychologists call it ‘novelty processing’ — may help slow cognitive decline,” AARP noted.
In addition, as outlined by AARP, you might take this opportunity to explore a job option you passed on before because it didn’t pay as well — or offer as many benefits — as other jobs.
Trying To Stay Happy
The third most popular healthy aging-related reason cited by respondents for continuing to work in retirement? That they enjoyed what they did.
“Continuing work can also provide a well-defined structure to your day,” SmartAsset detailed. “It offers a sense of purpose and identity, often missed after bidding farewell to a high-impact career. Moreover, it challenges your cognitive skills with problems to solve and new information to understand.”
In addition, many workers may enjoy the people they interact with at their jobs. This could include co-workers who become friends and an overall sense of family and community at the workplace, as noted by AARP.
Working during retirement can also help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness — feelings which frequently manifest after leaving employment.
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