Retirement is a rite of passage to the golden years, but that's not the reality for many seniors right now as more continue to work well past retirement age.
People 75 and older are the fastest-growing age group in the workforce.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this group of older workers is expected to grow by 96.5% by 2030.
And according to a U.S. News Report, the average age of retirement is 63.
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So why are those older than 75 still working? And those aging, expected to keep working?
NBC 6 spoke with three individuals who share why they’re still grinding, working to live past 75.
NO OTHER OPTION
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In his red Toyota, Dagoberto Manreza starts dictating directions leaving his Shenandoah house.
The Cuban immigrant turned 79 in November, and has been living in Miami since 1995.
In Spanish he shares, “I was a pizza delivery man for Papa Johns and worked in the beach at a condominium as a maintenance worker.”
Dagoberto retired at the age of 66, but he has been working ever since.
He accepts a ride of $4. He explains in Spanish, “It’s difficult, it’s difficult. You have to work. There’s no other option.”
Anywhere from 6 to 7 days a week, Dagoberto wakes up at 5am to drive around town picking up folks as an Uber driver. It’s a job he takes seriously, with more than 20,000 rides already completed, as a Diamond and Gold tier driver.
Dagoberto takes NBC6 along for the ride, and shares what his typical day looks like.
He shares that he drove buses in Cuba for 20 years, so this, is a piece of cake.
But being an Uber driver is essential to helping him make ends meet, “I get on average $200 when I work the 8, 9 hours, daily. And then I get roughly $1,000 every week. On average for me about that’s about $4,000 a month.”
After so many years of driving around he didn’t expect at his age to still have to. His perfect dream scenario? He says it’s to have money and sit at his house.
But he knows things cannot be and are not like that.”
He has to pay for his mortgage, water, electricity, gas and an upgrade to his beat up car.
It’s why the National Council on Aging claims those 65 and older are returning or remaining in work. They cite that 17,000,000 Americans in that age group are living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
They are struggling with health bills, insurance, housing, diminished savings, and job loss.
But some are living comfortably.
NOT FOR THE MONEY
At 6:45 am on a Wednesday morning, you can find Henry Friedman at the Biltmore swimming pool.
But before he became an avid swimmer, he was a Senior VP of Sales for two large suitcase companies.
He shares, “I did that for many years, traveled, spent most of my time on an airplane, visited major accounts across the country.”
In a lot of ways Henry is like your typical elder. He loves watching baseball with breakfast, and always makes sure his hearing aids are on.
But in other ways, he’s never felt better.
“I swim five days a week, I do about a mile every day. Going back to my 80th birthday I swam 80 laps for my birthday.”
Today, he’s 81 years old.
Henry retired 20 years ago after the death of his son, “It was a jolt to our family needless to say, when one [child] passes away before you do. It was a tough time for me, and it’s really what brought about my retirement because my head was not in the right place. But I thought well if I want to get to next year, or the year after or five years down the road I better start doing something for my mind and body. And that’s when it started.”
He worked at the post office for eight years, then in 2014, moved back to Florida.
His wife encouraged him to keep working, this time at Trader Joe's.
With a slight laugh Henry says, “They are not going to hire someone that is 70 years old. It’s all young kids that work there! Low and behold they hired me that same day.”
At the Coral Gables Trader Joe’s, when Henry walks through the aisle, you hear the occasional ‘Hey there!’, or ‘How you doing?’.
Everyone, knows Henry.
But he doesn’t work for the money. It’s for his health.
“Staying active is important, it’s therapeutic. I believe in keeping your mind and your body active,” he states.
According to one scientific journal, the change from being fully retired to working in old age has been associated with fewer major diseases and limitations, and overall better mental health.
Spending hours on his feet, taking inventory, stocking product, Henry says so far, he’s got a clean bill of health.
“We don’t act like 80-year-old people, we think of ourselves as young. And that’s why I do it,” he shares, “and I will continue to do it until I can’t”.
70 IS THE NEW 50
Across the city in Miami Gardens, the same can be said for Dr. Joy Jackson.
Jackson is at the front of a classroom, sitting at her keyboard, counting down to her students, ‘one, two, ready and,’ before music erupts.
The 70-year-old has a sense of humor, “70 is the new 50 cm’on.”
She’s on the cusp of joining a labor force of those 75 and older, that is growing faster than any other age group.
Jackson is a Music teacher at Robert Rennick Educational Center. She’s been accessing her retirement funds while still working, through Miami-Dade County Public Schools DROP program.
She’s hoping to retire after 50 years in the field but doesn’t think she’ll stop working.
Her logic, “If you look at most of these department stores, look at the age of those working there. You don’t see to many 18, 19, 20-year-olds working there. You see older people having to come back to the work force because social security cannot pay all of your bills. So, I would substitute teach.”
With a laugh she practices what her future self might ask, “Wanna hire me? I’m available!”
Currently, Jackson takes care of her two grandsons, manages her health with daily runs, and watches over her students.
The students at the educational center are awarded for good behavior with a point system, and those points are converted to snacks and activity time. Those are provided from Jackson’s pocket, costing her about $250 a month.
It’s a difficult struggle, that for now, Jackson can continue to offset with work.
All three of these grandparents are not letting their years hold them back. Each of them hoping to work for as long as they can, proving that age is really just a number.
