Rising living costs and limited retirement income are driving more Americans over 50 to return to the workforce, though age discrimination and health issues remain major obstacles.
A new AARP survey shows that more Americans aged 50 and older are returning to work, a trend dubbed “unretiring.” In the past six months, 7% of retirees rejoined the labor force, up from 6% in summer 2025. Carly Roszkowski, AARP vice president of financial resilience programming, said, “This idea of retirement as a cliff… is really not the reality for so many people in this country.”
Financial necessity was the primary motivator for 48% of those returning, while 15% cited boredom and 14% wanted to stay active. However, older workers face challenges: 67% said finding a new job is difficult, with age discrimination and health issues cited. Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, Boston College economist, noted, “People really are sensitive to inflation… Even if their incomes go up, they still feel pinched.”