The report did not specifically address the federal workforce, but that workforce for many years has been older than the national workforce overall. Image: l i g h t p o e t/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffMore Americans are working beyond age 65 and of those who remain employed they on average are working more hours, according to a study by Pew Research.
The 19 percent who are continuing to work beyond that age is nearly double the 11 percent of 35 years ago, and of those, 62 percent are working full-time compared with 47 percent then. One result is that they account for 7 percent of all wages and salaries paid by employers, compared with 2 percent then.
Age 65 is a commonly used marker for retirement studies because it is the age at which general eligibility for Medicare begins and at one time was the eligibility age for full Social Security benefits.
The report did not specifically address the federal workforce, but that workforce for many years has been older than the national workforce overall, with an average age above 47. Of the 2.18 million employees outside the Postal Service and intelligence agencies as of September 2022, more than 5 percent were above age 65, more than 9 percent between age 60 and 65 and nearly another 14 percent were age 55-59.
While educational levels of older workers are about the same as for those who are younger, they are more likely to have employer-sponsored benefits such as defined benefit retirement programs, having remained under them even as many employers phased out such benefits for newly hired employees.
“Older adults are healthier and less likely to have a disability than in the past, making it possible to extend their working lives,” it said, and many jobs have become more “age-friendly” by allowing for greater independence, more flexible schedules and less physical strain. While older workers are more likely to be self-employed, they are less likely to have “gig” type jobs, it added.
Meanwhile, it said, the phase-up of the age for full Social Security benefits encourages longer careers by penalizing those who begin drawing benefits earlier.
It added that the older contingent “are more satisfied with their jobs overall than younger workers. They’re also more likely to say they find their job enjoyable and fulfilling all or most of the time, and less likely to say they find it stressful,” it said.
It cited Labor Department projections that the percentage of those working after age 65 will further increase to 21 percent by 2032.
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