These Americans Thought They Could Retire. Then They Checked Their Bank Accounts.

For millions of Americans, retirement isn’t a finish line anymore. It’s a luxury they can’t afford. Take Pat Archer. The New York Times reports that she spent two decades as an accountant before retiring in 2020, confident her Social Security check and small pension would cover her expenses. They didn’t. The 73-year-old now works part-time at an assisted living facility outside Boston. She’s part of a growing cohort of “unretirees” — Americans who left the workforce only to return when their savings couldn’t keep pace with inflation.

The numbers are a buzzkill: 6.1 percent of people ages 55 to 64 who were retired in January 2025 were working a year later, according to Boston College economist Geoffrey Sanzenbacher. An AARP survey found that 48 percent of returning workers cited financial need as their primary motivation. With inflation hitting 3.3 percent in March and gas prices climbing amid Middle East tensions, that percentage could climb higher.

The pattern reveals who gets squeezed hardest. Unretirees tend to be nonwhite, live in multigenerational households, and ironically, have more education — college degrees make re-entering the job market easier, even if you’re 72 like James Jones, who now earns $10.06 an hour preparing meals in Norman, Oklahoma. His $1,200 monthly Social Security payment doesn’t cover cable TV, let alone rising gas costs.

For millions of Americans, retirement isn’t a finish line anymore. It’s a luxury they can’t afford. Take Pat Archer. The New York Times reports that she spent two decades as an accountant before retiring in 2020, confident her Social Security check and small pension would cover her expenses. They didn’t. The 73-year-old now works part-time at an assisted living facility outside Boston. She’s part of a growing cohort of “unretirees” — Americans who left the workforce only to return when their savings couldn’t keep pace with inflation.

The numbers are a buzzkill: 6.1 percent of people ages 55 to 64 who were retired in January 2025 were working a year later, according to Boston College economist Geoffrey Sanzenbacher. An AARP survey found that 48 percent of returning workers cited financial need as their primary motivation. With inflation hitting 3.3 percent in March and gas prices climbing amid Middle East tensions, that percentage could climb higher.

The pattern reveals who gets squeezed hardest. Unretirees tend to be nonwhite, live in multigenerational households, and ironically, have more education — college degrees make re-entering the job market easier, even if you’re 72 like James Jones, who now earns $10.06 an hour preparing meals in Norman, Oklahoma. His $1,200 monthly Social Security payment doesn’t cover cable TV, let alone rising gas costs.