No, We Shouldn’t Force Americans to Work Longer Before Retiring
A rising chorus of mainstream politicians and pundits wants you to put off retirement and work into your seventies. Don’t listen to them. We have plenty of resources to allow American workers to retire with dignity and enjoy their golden years without forcing them to keep working.
Clayton Fackler, seventy-two, works at the checkout at the 2,000 square foot Wal-Mart Supercenter store on May 17, 2006 in Bowling Green, Ohio.J.D. Pooley / Getty
Americans are less prepared for retirement than they have been in three decades. In 1989, 70 percent of working-age American households were on track to maintain their quality of life in retirement; in 2016, fully half of households are at risk of old-age downward mobility.
From Special Senate Committees to the New York Times, the proposed solution to this problem is always the same: keep grandpa clocking in.
The crusaders for forcing us to work longer make at least two specious arguments. First, we are living longer than ever, and extra years of labor are simply the price you pay for those extra years of life. The biological argument is paired with a humanist vision: working is actually good for seniors. In an age of isolation and loneliness, they suggest, continued employment provides a sense of purpose and keeps the elderly sharp and engaged.
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