Retirement and Health

It’s a great reason to keep working beyond the traditional retirement age. A study of more than 83,000 Americans over 65 found those who keep working appear healthier than those who quit the workforce.

The work, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease found that being unemployed or retired was associated with the greatest risk of poor health, even after taking into account factors like smoking and obesity.

Researchers from the University of Miami found that workers in the most physically demanding jobs had the lowest risk. Service workers, for example, had the lowest risk of suffering from conditions that limited their functioning. Blue collar workers had the lowest risk of having chronic conditions. The researchers conclude that working can benefit health by increasing income and social contact, as well as physical activity. And they think older adults with physical limitations would become healthier if they could work longer.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2022, people aged 65 and older will make up about 22 percent of the U.S. workforce.