Full Breakdown
Retirement Work Expectations vs. Reality in the United States
6/20/2026, 9:20:43 PM
Expectation–Reality Gap
The 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) shows that about 75 % of workers anticipate earning pay after retirement, yet only roughly 31 % of retirees are actually employed. Retirement confidence has slipped amid inflation, with two-fifths of workers lacking confidence in their ability to fund retirement. This gap has persisted since 1999, with expected work rates between 70 % and 80 % and actual participation never exceeding 34 %.
Key Numbers
EBRI reports 75 % expect to work, 31 % are working, and 27 % draw income from paid work; the Transamerica Center finds 48 % plan to work in retirement, while AARP records 7 % of retirees “unretired” in the past year, primarily for financial reasons.
Barriers to Post-Retirement Employment
Experts cite a limited supply of part-time roles, difficulty older adults face in securing new jobs, and health or family events that interrupt retirement plans. The National Council on Aging notes re-entering the labor market is especially hard for older job seekers.
Official Perspectives
EBRI director Craig Copeland says many retirees intend a gradual hour reduction but often stop work entirely, and that finding a new job at an advanced age is challenging. Maura Porcelli of the National Council on Aging notes systemic obstacles older workers face when seeking re-employment. Catherine Collinson of the Transamerica Center says financial and health motives drive work, but retirees often face unforeseen events. AARP’s Carly Roszkowski ties economic uncertainty and fears of outliving savings to the rise in “unretiring.”
Critical Viewpoints
Analysts call the expectation to work a “false hope” rooted in misunderstandings of the labor market’s capacity for older workers, noting the gap suggests retirees overestimate post-retirement employment feasibility.
Conflicting Figures and Gaps
The survey’s 31 % working versus 27 % earning income from paid work shows a measurement discrepancy, and the 75 % expectation versus the Transamerica Center’s 48 % planning figure reflects divergent methodologies.
Verbatim Quotes
- “People do expect to gradually transition by reducing hours, but what ends up happening is, they end up stopping completely,” — Craig Copeland, Director of Wealth Benefits Research, EBRI
- “Re-entering employment can be very difficult when you’re an older jobseeker,” — Maura Porcelli, Senior Director of Workforce, National Council on Aging
- “Many workers are planning to work in retirement for financial and healthy aging-related reasons,” — Catherine Collinson, CEO, Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies
- “People are worried about outliving their retirement savings. They’re worried about the cost of gas, the cost of groceries.” — Carly Roszkowski, Vice President of Financial Resilience Programming, AARP
