We’ll work until we’re old and gray, and then some
The recession has made retirement a fading dream for many older workers, a new Pew Research Center study finds:
According to the Pew Research survey, nearly four-in-ten adults who are working past the median retirement age of 62 say they have delayed their retirement because of the recession. Among workers ages 50 to 61, fully 63% say they might have to push back their expected retirement date because of current economic conditions.
Women in that 50-plus group are far more likely than men (72 percent versus 54 percent) to say that they’ll have to work longer. That’s interesting, because by many measures – unemployment rates, for example – the recession has hit men harder than women. Are women being realistic because they have less retirement savings accumulated, or are men just too optimistic about their ability to retire?
For people over 55, labor force participation rates have been rising since the 1980s, so the recession simply seems to have accelerated a pre-existing trend. Older workers don’t seem unhappy about their plight, though — 54 percent of the 65-plus workers said they’re working mainly because they want to, and just 17 percent said they have a job because they need the money.
(4 votes, average: 2.75 out of 5)
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David Nicklaus has covered St. Louis business for more than 25 years. His column appears three days a week on the Post-Dispatch business page. 
I know people eligible to retire like to keep working for “something to do”. But please, we have a lot of people uneligible to retire that need those jobs. Buy a camper and open some space.
Welcome the reality of your average working poor person.
But but but Obama is “The One”, “The “O”", “The Saviour”, “The Messiah” - he’s the tide that lifts all boats!
Ah. Larry wants the old people out of the way so younger people who ‘need’ jobs can get them. Where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah. Healthcare. Old people get out of the way. The younger people need those services.
I never understood the “I work because I want to or to have something to do” sentiment.
VOLUNTEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there are probably hundreds of orginizations that could use someone everyday of the week. I suspect that those who can afford to retire but don’t do so because of greed, I actually know a couple of those “types”, then you have the Warren Buffet types who have huge egos that constantly need feeding. Before you jump on me I am not slamming Buffet just making an observation.
Those older folks have the jobs because they show up, work while on the job, do a good job, appreciate the job, and understand that the Man has to make a buck to keep the shop open………..something the young Obama crowd hasn’t figured out yet.
But they’re saving sooooo much money with their Kia cars and shopping at Communist China Mart they should be retiring early. HAHAHAAHAHHA!!!!!!!!!!!! “(save money, live better, COMMUNIST China Mart)”
TARTAN
I’m old, work 60 hours a week ,don’t miss work. Don’t put me in the wingnut or teabagger bunch because that’s about the bottom of the barrel
You’ll work until there are no jobs left for new grads, then force companies to sweat when they are scrambling for new employees once you finally do retire or an incapable of working. I like it but yet I don’t - from my perspective.