The Wall Street Journal’s warning is blunt: longer lifespans could mean careers stretching from your early 20s into your late 70s or 80s. The old formula of education, decades of work, then retirement is giving way to something less tidy: career changes, retraining, breaks and possibly several different jobs over a lifetime. But there’s a catch. The people best positioned to enjoy a 60-year career are educated workers with money and flexibility. For everyone else, a longer working life may simply mean they can’t afford to stop.
In 1985, only 10.8% of Americans 65 and older were in the labor force. By 2024, that had climbed to 19.5%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says 38.3% of employed people in that age group were working part-time. More older Americans are staying in the workforce, but that doesn’t mean they’re all choosing to work longer.
Some people keep working because they enjoy it, have valuable expertise and want to stay active. Others are still punching a clock because their savings, Social Security and living costs don’t add up. Advice to keep learning and prepare for multiple career changes assumes people have the time and money to do that. Plenty don’t. Longer life expectancy is not automatically a longer, healthier retirement. It can also mean more years of rent, food, healthcare and bills to cover.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/career-lifespan-planning-retirement-savings-79dacdc3
https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-14/golden-years-older-americans-at-work-and-play.htm
https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/longevity-economy-report-2026.html
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