---
title: America isn't retiring anymore. It's working longer than ever.
description: "One in three Americans aged 55 and older is still working or looking for work, and that share has been climbing for nearly 40 years.\n\nThe biggest change is among older workers:\n\n• Ages 65–69: participation has nearly doubled since the late 1980s, now above 30%.\n• Ages 70–74: from under 10% to almost 19%.\n• Ages 75+: participation has doubled to roughly 8%.\n\nThe numbers are striking. Nearly 11.9 million Americans aged 65+ were employed last year, more than double the level of three decades ago. Between 2015 and 2024, the 65+ workforce expanded 33%, while the overall labor force grew by less than 9%.\n\nLonger life expectancy is part of the story. But so are disappearing pensions, rising living costs, and Social Security benefits that no longer stretch as far.\n\nRetirement is increasingly becoming a luxury rather than the default.\n\nSource: hedgeye"
---

[Syz The Moment](https://blog.syzgroup.com/syz-the-moment)

# [America isn't retiring anymore. It's working longer than ever.](https://blog.syzgroup.com/syz-the-moment/america-isnt-retiring-anymore.-its-working-longer-than-ever)

 Written by [Charles-Henry Monchau, CFA, CMT, CAIA](https://blog.syzgroup.com/syz-the-moment/author/charles-henry-monchau) | Jul 20, 2026, 3:45:15 PM

[View full post](https://blog.syzgroup.com/syz-the-moment/america-isnt-retiring-anymore.-its-working-longer-than-ever)

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