Ann Arbor, MI — People who choose to work beyond the traditional retirement age report experiencing physical and mental health benefits at a higher percentage than their slightly younger counterparts.
That’s according to the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging report, based on a survey of nearly 3,500 people ages 50 to 94 conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Around 18% of respondents were at least 65 years old and still working.
Of that group, 90% reported that work has a “very positive” or “somewhat positive” impact on their overall well-being. Nearly as many indicated the same as it relates to their mental health (84%) and physical health (79%).
By comparison, for workers 50-64, the percentages were:
- Overall well-being, 75%
- Mental health, 68%
- Physical health, 64%
“Our perceptions of working after age 65 have changed over time, and these data suggest that most older adults who are still able to work after the traditional retirement age derive health-related benefits from doing so,” poll director Jeffrey Kullgren, a primary care physician at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and associate professor of internal medicine at U-M, said in a press release. “As we learn more about how loneliness, lack of social connection and isolation intertwine with physical and mental health in older adults, the role of work is important to consider.”
