Almost Half of Workers Retire Earlier Than Planned

Reader Comments
Back to blog

These sobering statistics should be a wakeup call for all those broke people out there who believe they still have time to make up for years of undersaving and overspending.

dawn of CT 1:30PM July 21, 2009

comparatively few employed people have the combination of stamina, skills, health, job setting, family situation, willing boss, and ongoing demand for their services---all of which must coincide for people to keep working "as long as they like." Oh, as a greeter at Wal*Mart? Maybe. In the public sector with strong union protection? Maybe.
At a "good" job in the private sector? Far more doubtful unless you have significant ownership stake in the place where you're working.
The doctrine of "Employment at will" and the overwhelming perverse incentive on businesses to get rid of 50+ workers before they have costly health claims--are both operating to kill the intent of laws we passed years ago to prohibit age discrimination. Those laws are now mostly toothless. This is just another reason why America should have single-payer health care with employers completely disconnected from it.

Muser of NM 12:20PM July 21, 2009

I retired at age 79. I'm healthy and intended to work til I dropped, but I think I was forced out because of age and color discriminatio.

gj of CT 8:10AM July 21, 2009

I retired early and sold my business. I refuse to continue to work for the yahoos in Washington DC any longer. I am a work force drop out and proud of it.

S Alton of NC 9:39PM July 20, 2009