Are you daydreaming about retirement? If you live in Phoenix, you might have to keep dreaming a little longer. According to a new study conducted by ChamberofCommerce.org, Phoenix ranks among the top cities in the nation with the most working seniors.
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Whether it’s due to delaying retirement or “unretiring,” 24.2% of seniors in Phoenix are still participating in the workforce. That’s higher than the national average, which is 21%.
Here are the highlights for Phoenix
Total senior population: 189,612
Employed seniors: 45,922
Percent of senior population who are employed: 24.2%
Median senior household income: $53,511
Nationwide, over one in five seniors aged 65 and over are still participating in the workforce, which is more than 11.8 million people.
Among the top five cities with the most working seniors, two are located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area: Alexandria (ranked No. 1) and Washington, D.C. (ranked No. 5).
To determine the ranking, ChamberofCommerce.org examined the percentage of seniors aged 65 and over who were actively employed within the last 12 months in 170 cities nationwide, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Specifically, among adults ages 65 to 74, the workforce participation rate is expected to grow from 25.8% to 30.7% by 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Factors driving this growth include seniors opting to hold off on retirement plans and retirees opting to go back to work. Retirement rates surged during the pandemic as many left the workforce, but now a counter trend of “unretiring” is gaining traction as many retirees and seniors have decided to get back into the workforce due to personal or financial reasons.
