Millions of Retired Americans Aren't Coming Back to Work as Predicted
- Great Retirement narrative continues despite Covid fading
- Labor force participation rate for over-65s remains lower
While many may miss the routine and stimulation — and want to resume work for financial reasons — rejoining the workforce can be difficult.
Photographer: Amir Hamja/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
More than three-and-a-half years after Covid struck, the US still has around 2 million more retirees than predicted, in one of the most striking and enduring changes to the nation’s labor force.
The so-called Great Retirement induced by Covid-19 is evident in the divergence between the actual number of retirees and that predicted by a Federal Reserve economic model. While down from a 2.8 million gap late last year, it remains elevated today and has even risen from 1.7 million in June.