I was struck by an article on the website of the San Francisco Chronicle that reports for the first time that workers age 65 and over outnumber employed teenagers: http://tinyurl.com/27opz5h.  There are a variety of factors at work here, including unfortunately the devastating effect of the recession on the work opportunities for young people.  The impact of the economy on investment portfolios and real estate values have undoubtedly caused people over age 65 to reconsider their need to continue to work. 

There has been speculation for some time that some aging Baby Boomers would prefer to continue to work past normal retirement age.  A variety of news reports coming out of Washington over the past several weeks also indicate that deficit reduction negotiations that are likely to begin in the fall may lead to increases in the normal retirement age within the Social Security program sometime in the future.  There’s a strong likelihood that the newly identified workforce trend marks the beginning of a tendency to see employment as a key component for financing longevity regardless of whether the trend is fostered by personal preference or by retirement plan formulas.