EBRI Finds 75% of Workers Plan Retirement Jobs, but Only 31% of Retirees Work
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 20
EBRI Finds 75% of Workers Plan Retirement Jobs, but Only 31% of Retirees Work
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 20
Summary
75% of U.S. workers say they expect to work for pay in retirement, while only 31% of retirees actually do, according to EBRI’s 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey of 2,544 Americans.
Health setbacks, layoffs and the difficulty of landing new jobs at older ages often force workers to stop completely rather than phase into part-time or consulting roles.
27% of current retirees say paid work is an income source, even though workers rank it fourth in expected retirement funding behind Social Security and retirement savings.
Two-fifths of workers lack confidence in their retirement finances, helping explain why many build continued employment into their plans despite a long-running gap that has persisted since 1999.
AARP reported in February that 7% of retirees had recently “unretired,” most commonly to make more money, underscoring how economic pressure is reshaping retirement.