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<p>'Unretiring' is trending: 5 money factors you should consider first</p>
<p>Kat AokiAugust 16, 2025 at 12:39 AM</p>
<p>'Unretiring' is trending: 5 money factors you should consider first (Maskot via Getty Images)</p>
<p>Retirement used to be pretty straightforward: work for 40 years, get a gold watch and spend your days perfecting your golf swing. Today, more and more older Americans are ditching the traditional retirement script and heading back to work after initially calling it quits.</p>
<p>Meet the "unretirement" trend that has retirees dusting off their resumes and rejoining the workforce in record numbers.</p>
<p>The numbers tell the story</p>
<p>Nearly 40% of Americans ages 55 and older were employed in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — a striking shift that's even more dramatic when you look at the oldest workers. Today, 2.8 million men over 70 are working in the U.S. — part of an extraordinary long-term transformation in which employment among Americans 75 and older has quadrupled since 1964.</p>
<p>To put this in perspective, 19% of adults ages 65 and older are employed today. In 1987, only 11% of older adults were employed in the workforce. By 2033, projections from the BLS show that 1 in 4 American workers will be 55 or older. The workforce has gotten seriously grayer.</p>
<p>What's driving people back to work?</p>
<p>The reasons people are unretiring are as varied as the people themselves, but a few themes keep popping up, some surprising and not so surprising.</p>
<p>The numbers just don't add up</p>
<p>Inflation has hit retirees on fixed incomes particularly hard. According to a 2024 survey, among retirees considering returning to work, 69% cited the increasing cost of living as their reason. Another survey that same year found that roughly 40% of seniors planned to find work due to insufficient Social Security cost-of-living adjustments.</p>
<p>For many retirees, the reality is that fixed incomes simply aren't keeping pace with the rising cost of living, forcing difficult decisions about whether to return to work. Social Security benefits are estimated to rise by 2.7% for 2026 — a slight boost from last year's COLA, though most retirees would say it's still not enough.</p>
<p>🔍 Learn more: Best jobs for seniors: 10+ second-act careers plus 13 side gigs</p>
<p>Work is an intentional choice</p>
<p>For many older Americans, staying in the workforce isn't driven by financial desperation, but by satisfaction and purpose. While many are choosing to work not because they can't afford to retire, others are taking on work simply because they enjoy it and find it meaningful — and don't want to give it up.</p>
<p>Reddit's retirement community is full of these "unretiring" stories:</p>
<p>"Decided to give 100% attention to my consulting business and am now busier than ever making more than I ever made with a Fortune 100. Best move I ever made, don't think I will ever fully retire." — 54-year-old consultant who left corporate life</p>
<p>I'm 75.. still working. I'm a commercial insurance broker. When I was 66 I reduced my clients. I kept 5 very large clients. All producing commissions between $100,000 to over $600,000. At this point my total annual revenue is about 1 million. I wasn't motivated by greed. The accounts I kept were all very special to me. — 75-year-old insurance broker making six figures a year</p>
<p>I'm a lawyer in private practice. I'll be 66 next month. I'm going to keep doing it for a while, but only the kind of cases I enjoy. A bonus is that both of my kids are lawyers now, and I get a kick out of seeing them at the courthouse, sharing stories, and helping them as much as I can. — Lawyer who works alongside his kids</p>
<p>Retirement feels too quiet</p>
<p>For some retirees, the issue is simply too much time on their hands. More than 40% of seniors say they're contemplating going back to work due to boredom. After decades of structured workdays and clear purpose, retirement can feel surprisingly empty for some retirees. Some find that rejoining the workforce is a way to rebuild social connections and rediscover a sense of purpose.</p>
<p>🔍 Learn more: What's the average Social Security payment? Plus: Changes for 2026</p>
<p>Are you ready to go back to work?</p>
<p>Before you dust off your own resume, keep in mind these important financial considerations:</p>
<p>Check your Social Security math first. If you're collecting benefits before full retirement age and go back to work, you could lose $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn over $23,400. The upside? Those benefits are recalculated once you reach full retirement age.</p>
<p>Consider the tax implications. Working income could push you into a higher tax bracket and increase taxes on your Social Security. Run the numbers and talk with a tax professional or financial advisor before making the leap.</p>
<p>Factor in work-related expenses. Commuting, work clothes, lunches out and other job-related costs can eat into your earnings (depending on your work, however, some may be tax-deductible). Make sure your take-home pay after expenses still makes financial sense.</p>
<p>Don't forget about healthcare coverage. If you're on Medicare, understand how employer health benefits interact with your existing coverage. You might be able to save money, or you could complicate things unnecessarily.</p>
<p>Start small and test the waters. Consider part-time or contract work first to see how returning to work affects your finances, energy and overall satisfaction before committing to full-time employment.</p>
<p>🔍 Learn more: Retired but working: How much can you earn while on Social Security?</p>
<p>Bottom line: Retirement 2.0 is here</p>
<p>The old retirement playbook is getting rewritten. Whether driven by financial necessity or personal choice, millions of Americans are proving that turning 65 doesn't have to mean the end of working life. In a world where people are living longer and healthier lives, unretirement is an interesting alternative.</p>
<p>Other stories you might be interested in -</p>
<p>How to recession-proof your retirement: 7 smart strategies to fortify your nest egg</p>
<p>6 steps to starting a consulting business in retirement</p>
<p>The IRS owes you one: 9 tax breaks after 50 you might be missing out on</p>
<p>5 red flags to watch out for before choosing a financial advisor</p>
<p>Help! I've been scammed: What are my chances of a bank refund?</p>
<p>📩 Have thoughts or comments about this story — or ideas on topics you'd like us to cover? Reach out to our team at [email protected].</p>
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