Aging & Work Facts Database
Now, for a limited time, the Center on Aging & Work is making this resource available publicly before granting exclusive access to Center Partners & Affiliates, and members of the Center’s research team.
Features of the Aging & Work Facts Database include:
• individual facts searchable by topic
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During this initial period of Beta-testing we welcome your feedback.
The Aging & Work Facts will soon be accessible only through a password protected web page, with exclusive access given to Employer Partners and Affiliates, and members of the Center Research Team. For more information on how to become a Partner or Employer Affiliate, please contact agework@bc.edu.
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Retirement, Timing of
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- According to a 2009 MetLife survey of 240 large employers, "nearly four in ten (38%) companies offer post-retirement benefits... Among those companies that offer post-retireme... more
- According to a 2009 telephone survey of almost 3000 adults, among adults ages 50 to 64 who are employed fulltime, "six-in-ten women working full-time in this age group say the... more
- According to a 2010 report from the Center for Retirement Research, "about 40 percent [of over 1300 survey respondents] expect to retire later than they had before the downtur... more
- In a 2009 survey of adults aged 45 or older, "over 31% of respondents favor raising the earnings cap on wages subject to payroll taxes. More than 27% support expanding fundin... more
- According to a 2005 Congressional Research Service report, "there is a rapid decline of labor force activity as workers reach their late 50s (55-59)--the approximate age when... more
- According to a 2010 CareerBuilder survey of over 2700 human resource professionals, "30 percent of employers report they have received requests from workers approaching retire... more
- According to a 2009 MetLife survey of 240 large employers, "one-third of employers (35%) have considered, but rejected, offering financial incentives for employees to encourag... more
- According to a 2009 MetLife survey of 240 large employers, "seven in ten employers (71%) concerned primarily with employees remaining in the workforce -- whether today or in t... more
- According to a 2009 MetLife survey of 240 large employers, "63% of employers say workers have retired at the age anticipated over the past year -- and 69% believe that workers... more
- According to a 2009 MetLife survey of 240 large employers, "of employers who offer post-retiree benefits, almost four in ten (38%) believe that employee benefits have no role... more
- According to a 2009 MetLife survey of 240 large employers, "87% of employers who are concerned about the impact of delayed retirement say employees are primarily working longe... more
- According to a 2009 analysis of data from the Current Population Survey, "among individuals with total income in the highest 25% among all persons aged 65 and older--those wit... more
- According to a 2008 report on a survey from the Society of Actuaries, respondents who were "pre-retirees are more likely than retirees to respond that a three-year delay in re... more
- According to a 2008 report on a survey from the Society of Actuaries, among the respondents who were retired, "half retired before age 60 (52%), while only one in ten of the r... more
- In a 2009 survey of 2000 job seekers over age 55, "four-out-of-ten older workers surveyed (45 percent) planned to be retired by this time in their lives; 38 percent had retire... more
- According to a 2009 study conducted by the Sloan Center on Aging and Work, "approximately three-fourths of all employers surveyed (77%) stated that they have not analyzed proj... more
- According to the 2009 Sun-Life Unretirement Index, the most popular reason for continuing to work past the age of 67 is "to earn enough money to live well," cited by 84 percen... more
- According to the 2009 Sun-Life Unretirement Index, "fifty-five percent of those surveyed say they will work full- or part-time at 67, and another new high of 28 percent of US... more
- According to the 2009 Sun-Life Unretirement Index, "65 percent of American workers will delay their retirement by at least one year -- an 11 percent increase since the end of... more
- According to a 2009 study conducted by the Sloan Center on Aging and Work, "organizations in the two groups of employers who anticipated that the aging of the workforce will h... more
- According to a 2009 analysis of BLS data, "older adults are already working longer than they used to. Between 1998 and 2008, the share of men age 65 to 69 in the labor force j... more
- According to the 2009 Retirement Confidence Survey, "twenty-eight percent of workers say the age at which they expect to retire has changed in the past year. Of those, the vas... more
- According to the 2009 Retirement Confidence Survey, "the percentage of workers planning to work after they retire has increased to 72 percent in 2009 (up from 66 percent in 20... more
- According to a 2009 analysis of HRS data, "one in four adults ages 51 to 55 who left their 1992 jobs said they were retiring. More than 3 in 10 retirees took new jobs and near... more
- According to a 2009 analysis of HRS data, "less than half (46 percent) of workers employed fulltime at ages 51 to 55 ever cite retirement as the principal reason for leaving a... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, three-quarters (75%) of adults ages 50-64 say that the nation's current economic problems will make it more difficult for them to afford re... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, among the 'Threshold Generation' -- Americans ages 50 to 64 who are at or near the peak of their earnings potential and net worth -- "n... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, "a majority of working adults 65 and older are uncertain about when--if at all--they will retire. About a third (33%) say they plan to retire s... more
- In a 2009 multigenerational survey of retirement plans, "on average, pre-retirees say they now intend to postpone their retirement by 4.2 years, triggered by today's econo... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, "only about half (51%) of all current retirees say they retired because they wanted to. About a third (32%) say they had to retire for health o... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, among the respondents "nearing retirement age--ages 50 to 61--a 63% majority think they might have to delay retirement because of the recession... more
- In a 2009 report comparing responses of HR managers in US state agencies to those of private for-profit and non-profit organizations, "30.6% of the agencies stated that they h... more
- According to a 2009 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, "Nationally, 37.8 percent of 65-and-older workers worked full-time, year-round in 2008." (p. 2)... more
- According to a 2009 Metlife survey of workers and job seekers aged 55-70, "fifty percent of the respondents say that within the past two years they have changed their minds ab... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, "83% of all adults 65 and older say they are retired--a group that includes some who work at least part time--while 5% describe themselves as s... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, "some 11% of all adults ages 65 and older say they are not retired. As a group, nearly four-in-ten of these non-retirees (or 4% of the total po... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, "the likelihood that a person is retired and out of the labor force increases substantially with age. Overall, about two-thirds of adults ages... more
- According to a 2009 telephone survey of almost 3000 adults, "just over half of all working adults ages 50 to 64 say they may delay their retirement -- and another 16% say they... more
- According to a 2009 telephone survey of almost 3000 adults, "37% of full-time employed adults of all ages say they have thought in the past year about postponing their eventua... more
- According to a 2009 analysis of US Current Population Survey data, "68% of men and 73% of women who began receiving Social Security retired-worker benefits in 2007 applied for... more
- In a 2009 Watson Wyatt survey of HR executives, "79% of respondents expect to see a large permanent increase in employees working past their desired retirement age." (p. 2)... more
- According to a 2009 telephone survey of almost 3000 adults, "working adults who are closer to the traditional retirement age of 65 are even more likely than younger members of... more
- According to a 2009 AARP survey of adults ages 45 and older, "seventeen percent of those surveyed said they had postponed plans to retire. Twenty-seven percent of those in th... more
- According to a 2009 survey of employees and retirees, "fifty-four percent of workers aged 50 to 64 who plan to postpone retirement say they will work at least three years long... more
- According to a 2009 survey of employees and retirees, "among the reasons for postponing retirement, 76% of workers aged 50-64 say the decline in the value of their 401(k) pla... more
- According to a 2009 survey of 1000 U.S. adults, "fewer than one in three Americans expect to be able to fully retire, according to the study. This number represents a decline,... more
- According to a 2009 survey of 1000 U.S. adults, "Boomers showed the most pronounced increase in their level of worry about the future -- more than two-thirds (67 percent) desc... more
- According to a 2009 Pew survey, "among adults 65 and older, nearly identical proportions of men (75%) and women (76%) are retired and not working. About three-quarters of whit... more
- According to a 2009 Metlife survey of workers and job seekers aged 55-70, "Among those who expect to stop working for pay later than expected, two-thirds (67%) say they need t... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data gathered from the Health and Retirement Study, "transitions into self employment were relatively common among college-educated men, where 22%... more
- According to a 2008 analysis of HRS data, "between 1998 and 2004, the fraction of 65 to 67 year old men who were completely retired (working less than 99 hours per year) decli... more
- According to a 2008 AARP survey of older workers, "more older African American workers (79%) than white workers (68%) intend to work for pay during retirement. Among older Hi... more
- According to a 2008 analysis of data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, "Workers could increase their annual income by an average of 5 percent from age 50 on... more
- A 2008 analysis of CPS data by the Center for Retirement Research found that "in 1982, when 63 was the average retirement age (as it is today), 70 percent of male workers aged... more
- According to a 2008 analysis of CPS data, men 65 to 69 were about six percentage points less likely to be retired in 2004 than in 1992. " (p. 4)... more
- In a 2008 report of a survey of over 9000 Austrailian workers aged 45-64 years, 3010 were not in the labour force. Of these, 1373 (45.6%) had retired prematurely because of a... more
- In a 2008 telephone interview survey, almost half (48%) of the respondents reported that they plan to be working at least part-time at the age of 67. Of those, 29% plan to be... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Study, less than 10% of male wage-and-salary workers making less than $10/hour switched to self-employment, whi... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data gathered from the Health and Retirement Study, approximately 19% of male wage-and-salary workers in white-collar, highly-skilled positions tra... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data gathered from the Health and Retirement Study, 18% of men and 14% of women in full-time career positions who received inheritances (particular... more
- According to a 2008 Gallup survey, "only 11% of small-business owners say they plan to retire and stop working in their businesses in the long run. 40% say "they will continue... more
- According to a 2008 Pew Research Center survey, "the average worker expects to retire at age 61, while the average retiree actually retired at 57.8. (p. 1)... more
- According to a 2008 Pew Research Center survey, the anticipated retirement age among those ages 50 and older is an average of 63.7 compared with 58.8 among those currently age... more
- According to a 2008 survey of recent retirees, "thirty-eight percent report that being able to work seasonally or on a contract basis would have been effective in encouraging... more
- According to a 2008 survey of recent retirees, "many retirees report they would have been open to an approach from their employer asking them to stay longer with the company.... more
- According to a 2008 survey of recent retirees, "in general, workers begin thinking seriously about retirement not long before they actually retire. Twenty-two percent of the s... more
- According to a 2008 survey of recent retirees, "while a majority (54 percent) was either extremely, very, or somewhat satisfied with their job at the time they made their deci... more
- According to a 2008 survey of recent retirees, "three-quarters of retirees (76 percent) report that their ability to afford retirement was an extremely or very important facto... more
- According to a 2008 AARP survey, "if the economy does not improve significantly, over six in ten workers at least 45 years old say it is likely they will spend less in retirem... more
- According to a 2008 survey of recent retirees, "retirees are most likely to say that being able to work seasonally or on a contract basis (38 percent) or to work part time ins... more
- According to a 2008 report on the impact of a slowing economy by AARP, postponing of plans to retire was reported by 24% of workers aged 45-54, 19% of workers aged 55-64, and... more
- According to a 2008 analysis of Health and Retirement Study data from 1992-2004, workers aged 63-73 were more likely to be male or female self-employed full-time career (FTC)... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data gathered from the Health and Retirement Study, 11% of male full-time career (FTC) workers in wage-and-salary positions in 1992 were still in t... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data gathered from the Health and Retirement Study, 17% of female full-time career (FTC) workers in wage-and-salary positions in 1992 were still in... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data gathered from the Health and Retirement Study, 23% of male full-time career (FTC) workers in self-employment positions in 1992 were still in t... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data gathered from the Health and Retirement Study, 17% of female full-time career (FTC) workers in self-employment positions in 1992 were still in... more
- According to a 2008 survey of small business, "nearly 37% of those surveyed said their workers ages 60-64 are waiting until later to retire; and their leading reason is they e... more
- Based on a 2008 analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Study, male and female wage-and-salary workers are less likely to become self-employed if they describe their h... more
- A 2008 report of a study evaluating the relationship between health, work environment, and retirement-related job lock finds that "over half of all respondents over the age of... more
- A 2008 report of a study evaluating the relationship between health, work environment, and retirement-related job lock finds that "86% of respondents over the age of 55 [who e... more
- According to a 2008 survey of small business owners, "21% of small business owners said at least 5 percent of their workers are ages 60 to 64...compared to 16% last year. And... more
- According to a 2007 analysis of HRS data, "the self-employed report a higher likelihood that they will be working at age 62 or 65, compared with their wage and salary counterp... more
- According to the results of a 2007 survey on retirement, "nearly one in four (24%) respondents ages 55 to 75 went back to work after their retirement. Three-fourths (76%) sta... more
- Respondents in a 2007 national study of employers reported that "the average retirement age at their company is 59.8 years, and that they expect 10.8% of their employees will... more
- A 2007 analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Survey showed that nearly 50 percent of retirees follow a nontraditional retirement path that involves partial retiremen... more
- In a 2007 study using data from the Health and Retirement study, it was found that retirees in their early 50s are about 20 percent more likely than older retirees to have re... more
- According to the 2007 EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey, "about 4 in 10 workers plan to retire before reaching age 65, 17 percent say they will retire before age 60, and 21 pe... more
- According to the 2007 EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey "approximately 4 in 10 retirees leave the work force earlier than planned (37 percent in 2007). Reasons for leaving t... more
- According to a 2007 analysis of the National Study of Business Strategy and Workforce Development, just over a third of the employers (37.0%) stated that they had adopted stra... more
- A 2007 study based on data from the Health and Retirement study found that 55 percent of older workers (born between 1931and 1941) had accurate expectations about post-retirem... more
- According to a 2006 MetLife study of adults aged 55-70, "the number one reason for taking retirement benefits cited by workers age 60-65 was 'wanted to try something new a... more
- According to a 2006 MetLife study, "among older workers, the Working Retired represent 16% of 60-65 year olds and 19% of 66-70 year olds. When we add this segment of workers (... more
- According to a 2006 report, "Delayed retirement and work during retirement have become more and more crucial to the income picture of those over 65, with earnings rising from... more
- In a 2006 survey of more than 3,000 US retirees and preretirees, while "almost half of all respondents expect to work past age 65, only 13 percent of current retirees have don... more
- In a 2006 survey of more than 3,000 US retirees and preretirees, a full 40 percent were forced to stop working earlier than they had planned, largely because of health problem... more
- In a 2006 survey of more than 3,000 US retirees and preretirees, reasons for unplanned early retirement "vary by wealth level. More than half of the respondents with less than... more
- According to a 2006 MetLife report on caregiving costs, "at least 6 out of 10 employed caregivers reported that they had made some work-related adjustments as a result of thei... more
- According to a 2006 Urban Institute report, "close to 50 percent of workers age 60-64 either want to stop working or change their current work, compared with 30 percent of wor... more
- A 2006 analysis of data from the National Study of the Changing Workforce, conducted by the Families and Work Institute, indicates that workers in the 55-64 age group - older... more
- According to the 2005 Work-Filled Retirement" survey, "forty-four percent of workers under 35 believe they will be able to leave the full-time labor force by age 60, compared... more
- According to a 2005 survey conducted by the AARP, "three in four (75%) [workers 50-65 who plan to work beyond age 65] are working for someone other than themselves, and approx... more
- According to a 2005 AARP survey of adults aged 50 and older, "...one-third (33%) of retirees indicated that they would have remained in the workforce longer if such a phased r... more
- According to a 2005 AARP survey of adults aged 50 and older, "nearly half (46%) reported that they would like to start phased retirement between 60 and 64. Another 29% would l... more
- In a 2005 AARP survey of Americans age 50 and older, 38% expressed interest in the concept phased retirement. In addition, 78% of those surveyed interested in phased retiremen... more
- In 2005, 2.2% of the workforce aged 45-54 was retired. In 2005, 20.7% of the workforce aged 55-64 was retired. In 2005, 69.8% of the workforce aged 65-74 was retired. In 2005,... more
- According to a 2005 Merrill Lynch survey, “when probed about their ideal work arrangement in retirement, the most common choice among boomers would be to repeatedly “cycle... more
- According to the 2005 Work-Filled Retirement survey, "in 2000, 37% of workers said they would choose to retire before age 50 if their finances permitted it. By 2005, this numb... more
- According to a 2004 analysis by Mulvey, "... the existence of a phased retirement program increases the average retirement age among women by 21 months. For men, phasing... more
- In a 2005 poll conducted for FORTUNE by TheLadders.com-- a job site for executives earning $100,000-plus a year-- "51% say they plan to keep on working after they retire fro... more
- In a 2005 survey of workers aged 55 or older who experienced a workplace injury and lost at least one day of work, 11% reported intent to retire earlier due to their injury.... more
- A study by Smith and Moen (2004) found that "when retired husbands perceive their wives as influential, the odds of the husbands reporting retirement satisfaction are more tha... more
- A study by Moen and Smith (2004) found that "a female retiree is more than five times more likely to report being satisfied when she reported that her husband was not influent... more
- In a 2003 AARP survey, "63 percent [pre-retirees] state that they plan to work at least part-time in retirement, and an additional 5 percent say that they never expected to re... more
- According to a 2003 AARP report, 53% of the workers aged 50-70 surveyed expect to continue working until the age of 70, and 27% of workers surveyed expect to continue until th... more
- A 2004 Watson Wyatt Worldwide survey of older workers (50-70 years old) found that one-third of the respondents said they would postpone retirement if they were offered phased... more
- The 2000 Cornell Retirement and Well-Being Study found that a majority of older Americans (70 percent of men and 69 percent of women) state that the reason they have retired... more
- A 2003 AARP study found that when asked what they plan to do in retirement, nearly 70% of 50-70 years olds who have not yet retired reported that they planned to work in their... more
- According to a 2002 report on a Conference Board survey, Two-thirds (69%) of the older workers responding to the survey who said that they plan to continue to work for at leas... more
- A 2002 report indicates that only two percent of the respondents to The Conference Board survey listed their caregiving responsibilities as a reason for retiring. (p.21)... more
- According to a 2002 report on data from The Conference Board, nearly half of the respondents to its recent survey stated that "more flexibility in working hours would prevent... more
- According to a 2002 analysis of data from The Conference Board, 28 percent of the older workers who responded said that their desire to 'contribute to society' was a... more
- According to a 2002 survey conducted by The Conference Board, approximately one-third of older workers indicated that having access to a telework option would delay their tran... more
- According to a 2002 report, the Health Confidence Survey (HCS) found that "...60 percent of workers who expect to receive both retiree benefits and to retire before age 65 w... more
- According to a 2001 RAND report, 25 percent of people retiring between ages 50 and 58 cited poor health as an important reason for their retirement decisions, compared with 35... more
- A study by Moen, Kim, and Hofmeister (2001) found that of their respondents, "Almost one-fifth (17.6%) of married respondents…are currently in jobs subsequent to their prima... more
- A 2000 study by the Cornell Careers Center found that "The most common reason for retiring but continuing to work after retirement is that respondents want a work schedule tha... more
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