The Rise of the Unretiree

Retirement doesn’t mean you’re “done.” It often just means you’ve stopped working and getting paid full-time.

Today’s retirees aren’t fading away: they’re starting next chapters with energy, more freedom, purpose, and control than ever before.

For some people, retirement was supposed to be the victory lap: sleep in, travel, relax. And, for a while, it was great.

But then…the itch came back. Not for the “old grind”, but for the SPARK:

• Solving real problems.

• Using hard-earned expertise.

• Feeling the camaraderie of working toward something bigger than yourself.

  
  

More and more retirees are unretiring—not because they have to—because they want to. They’re consulting, launching businesses, working part-time in fields they’ve always been curious about.

And they’re doing it on their own terms—enjoying flexible hours and meaningful work with no ladder-climbing: unless they choose it.

The numbers tell the story:

• In 2024, labor force participation among Americans aged 55+ was 37.3%, up from 31.5% in 2000, and way higher than the 19% rate among those 65+ in 1983 Kiplinger+1

• Approximately 1 in 6 retirees are considering returning to work, having been out of the workforce for around four years. The top reasons: personal fulfillment (57%), financial need (53%), boredom (52%), loneliness (45%), and inflation (45%) CNBC.

• For the 65–74 age bracket, participation reached 25.8% in 2021, and it's forecasted to rise to 30.7% by 2031. Workers aged 75+ are projected to increase from 8.6% to 11.1% during the same period CNBC.

• The unretirement rate—people who were retired and now employed a year later—was about 3.2% in March 2022, similar to pre-pandemic levels Indeed Hiring Lab.

Here’s the thing: Unretirement isn’t a step backward; it’s a pivot forward—toward purpose, connection, and relevance.

What do you think? If the right opportunity came along…would you unretire?

Here are four questions to help frame your early thoughts:

1.     What’s the biggest reason you would unretire?

2.     What’s the biggest reason you wouldn’t?

3.     If you could design your perfect unretirement gig, what would it be?

4.     What will your next step be?

I’m curious…if you could design your perfect unretirement, what would it look like? Share your vision in the comments—you might inspire someone else’s next chapter.

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