The traditional image of retirement—days filled solely with leisure and relaxation—is being redefined for a growing number of older adults across the nation, Wyoming included. Many individuals are choosing, or needing, to remain in the workforce well past the “traditional” retirement age of around 65. This isn’t just a passing phenomenon, it’s a culture shift driven by economic realities, personal fulfillment, and evolving demographics.
The current economic climate places significant pressure on many people who live on fixed incomes. Savings, investment assets, and Social Security income that once seemed sufficient are now stretched thin. During times of inflated prices and economic uncertainty, many older adults are finding it necessary to stay in the workforce to cover essential living expenses such as groceries, housing, and healthcare needs.
Regardless of why individuals may decide to stay in the workforce, there are numerous benefits to doing so. For example, delaying retirement until after the full retirement age (67 for those born after 1960) qualifies older adults for increased monthly Social Security benefits. When it is feasible to continue working, who could say no to the opportunity to earn more money?
But, for many people, working also offers benefits beyond just a paycheck. Working also provides an opportunity to maintain daily structure, which is often lost in retirement. It’s common for retired people to wonder, what the heck am I going to do with all this free time? Those who continue to work beyond the “traditional” retirement age can maintain a daily routine that may be helpful to their mental and physical well-being.
Many older adults get fulfillment out of being generative through their employment by sharing their knowledge and skills with younger workers. For older adults, working environments that offer the chance to give back to the community or younger generations can foster a sense of purpose based on sharing what has been learned over a lifetime.
One of the more profound benefits that may often go unnoticed is sustained social interaction by older people who work. Some studies have demonstrated that social isolation and loneliness are chronic concerns for many older Americans, with potentially dire consequences. For example, research has shown that small, poorly developed social networks are correlated with increased risk for chronic disease and decreased life expectancy.
In fact, prolonged workforce participation has numerous potential health benefits. Older adults who work are more likely to be physically active, challenging their minds, and engaging socially with their peers in ways that non-working older adults may not.
Perhaps this is the biggest plot twist of all: your job may not be taking years off your life; it might just be adding them!
Despite the numerous benefits of working beyond the “traditional” retirement age, there are certainly still setbacks and barriers to remaining engaged. For instance, older workers may experience age discrimination, which can often result in hostile and unfavorable hiring and working environments. Discriminatory practices are usually based around inaccurate stereotypes about older adults, such as being incapable or unreliable.
In fact, employers who believe things like “older workers can’t learn new skills” or “older workers miss too many days of work due to doctor visits” are frequently key factors in pushing older adults out of the workplace.
Still, though, age-related stereotypes pertaining to working often turn out to be false in reality. Research shows that older adults tend to have better commitment and fewer days out than their younger counterparts. Although it may take them a bit longer, older people can learn new job skills and adapt to changing technologies.
This ability to continue personal growth can be particularly rewarding for those who choose to pursue a new career after retirement (a concept that gerontologists call “encore careers”), and to contribute in meaningful ways that are uniquely valuable to employers.
That is, of course, if they can find employment. Older adults often do well when engaged in the workplace, but they tend to have a harder time finding new work if they choose to take on an encore career or decide to move jobs. While federal legislation called the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) aims to eliminate hiring prejudices based on age, unfair hiring and retention practices remain a persistent challenge for older adults who wish to remain in the labor force.
Finally, while retention of older workers in the labor force has potential to benefit many older people, for some, it may be difficult if not impossible to do so. Age-related disabilities, often acquired while working, are frequently an inhibiting factor for older adults.
In many cases disabilities can be overcome by simple accommodations, which are required by law in some settings under the Americans with Disability Act of 1990.
Accommodations that address common disabilities such as vision impairment or mobility difficulties can support older adults who experience these conditions, keeping them physically active and socially engaged. Unfortunately, many employers do not provide necessary assistance or flexibility, and the lack of accommodations, fear of discrimination, and limits on earnings allowed can cause some older adults with disabilities to actively avoid continued participation.
Even with the setbacks, it is clear that retirement is undergoing a significant transformation across the nation that often includes full- or part-time employment. In the U.S., demographic realities, resulting from better health and longer life expectancies, are shifting to favor older workers as prospective employees.
The nation’s current population of older adults far exceeds that of any time in our history. When you combine longer life expectancies with decreasing birth rates, and tightening immigration policy, it is clear that older employees can play a significant role by working longer to help meet societal needs in the present and future.
For our society to truly thrive, there is a concerted need to educate ourselves and employers to avoid ageist attitudes and embrace this shift. By doing so, older adults can lead more fulfilling and secure lives, while making contributions that strengthen our economy, enrich our communities, and build a more vibrant future for everyone.
Authors: Hailey McGee (hmcgee1@uwyo.edu) is an undergraduate student at the University of Wyoming, majoring in human development and family studies in the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, and minoring in aging studies. She is president-elect of the Student Gerontology Association, serving in 2025-2026.
Bernard A. Steinman (bsteinm1@uwyo.edu) is a gerontologist and associate professor in the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences.
Try this exercise: Take a minute… in fact, take a few minutes to stop and observe how your mind works. Wherever you are, bring your attention to your breath. Try to follow the entire inhale and exhale. Then try to follow the next breath, and so on.
Each spring when I teach my class on aging, I ask young students–who are usually in their early 20s–what we should call people over the age of or around 65.
I hear pretty much the same list year after year: elderly, senior citizens, aged, elders, senile and geriatrics.
© April 2025
