Upon reading this article in the Guardian newspaper on British workers toiling into their 70s my gut reaction was one of alarm.
Having just turned 60, the thought of working for at least another decade is rather depressing but I do take my hat off to those who are labouring away in their 70s.
The Guardian article is based on research released by the lifestyle website for midlifers ‘Rest Less’ .
There has been a 61% increase in those aged 70 and over since 2012, In 2012 there were 277,926 employed compared to 446,601 in 2022. The cost of living crisis, low savings and an uncertain financial future has also seen a steep rise in women working into their 70s but men are working in higher numbers into older age.
I am one of those women who may very well have to work for far longer than I would like to. I worked part-time for many years while bringing my daughter up which has meant that my pension contributions were rather low.
Saving is proving to be a luxury these days what with the rising bills. I wish the weather would warm up so the bathroom didn’t feel ice cold in the mornings. Somedays I give in and turn the central heating on.
The retirement dream of a pot of gold in the form of cruises and holidays to sunny places seem more like a search for the Holy Grail. So much for boomers, like me, having a better life than our younger versions.
How do you feel about the possibility of working in your seventh decade?