Many workers above age 55 were pushed into early retirement during the pandemic, even to their dismay at the time.

Then during the great resignation, something unexpected happened.

People started resigning and leaving the workforce in great numbers.

This created a gap in the labor supply as employers found it hard to hire talented workers.

Many employers turned back to the older employees they had let go.

As retirees face the question of whether to return to work or not post-pandemic, they have the liberty to consider their options.

No longer do they have to continue with a job or lifestyle they are not absolutely enthusiastic about.

The post-pandemic work environment created opportunities for workers to decide what they do, where they do it, and on what type of conditions.

“All of a sudden, retirees who were shackled to jobs for years are now in a position where they could do something that they wanted to do their whole life. They don’t feel that they have no other choice now,” says Stacie Haller, a career and staffing expert, in the article “Employers Want Their Retirees to Return to the Workforce.”

As the talent vacuum continues and employers find it difficult to fill job positions with qualified employees, workers, both older and newer, control the reigns.

“Employers have raised wages (especially in certain sectors like restaurants) to attract job interest,” says CNBC article “Retirees are Unretiring and that’s Good for the Labor Market.”

Sources:

Employers Want Their Retirees to Return to the Workforce, Peralta Paola, Employment Benefit News, https://www.benefitnews.com/news/retirees-are-returning-to-work-post-pandemic

Retirees are “Unretiring” and that’s Good for the Labor Market, Iacurci Greg, CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/17/retirees-are-unretiring-and-thats-good-for-the-labor-market.html