High Costs Driving Surge in Older Workers: AARP Survey Shows 1 in 10 Retirees Unretiring (Jan 2026)

Retirement savings are being strained by persistent inflation, with 1 in 10 Americans 50+ returning to work to cover everyday expenses. AARP’s Jan 2026 survey found 10% of retirees are unretiring, double the past six months’ average, as 40% of older adults are either working or actively job-searching. Social Security now replaces less than half of pre-retirement wages, and 52% of households over 55 have no retirement savings. About 38 million people aged 55+ are in the labor force, up 2.5 times from 40 years ago, with 7% of retirees rejoining the workforce in the past six months. Rising costs for housing, healthcare, food and utilities are pushing retirees to work longer, especially single retirees and women. With U.S. unemployment up and hiring sputtering, the challenge of finding work for those without savings is growing, as the economic pressure to unretire intensifies.