More Seniors Are Working — Some by Choice, Others by Necessity

Americans who stay employed beyond retirement age are either doing it out of choice or necessity, depending on their income strata, according to Marketplace . "The people who are working well into their late 60s, and possibly into their early 70s, tend to be in professional jobs," notes Nari Rhee at the University of California, Berkeley Labor Center. Higher-income workers tend to have more job security, while those most in need of income often find obtaining and maintaining employment a tougher challenge. In pricey and affluent locales such as Southern California, residents are more likely to be employed, and older workers range from real estate agents to tax preparers to university professors. For lower-income American seniors, ageism and the physical rigors of blue-collar jobs can force them into early retirement. Fewer than 10 percent of seniors are employed in lower-income areas in Southern California, for instance.