When it came time for Diane Wetherington to consider retirement, reality quickly set in.
The 72-year-old debated devoting her time to crafting and doting over her grandkids and even gave full-time retirement a try. But she soon realized her Social Security checks, which were smaller than her peers’ due to time she spent out of the workforce while raising children, wouldn’t be enough to cover travel or rising insurance costs on top of basic needs.
Now, the Central Florida resident works part time as a remote contracting agent in local government. While she sometimes has to miss out on plans with fully retired friends, she said, continuing to work has kept her budget sound and her mind active.
“It’s just getting very hard to make ends meet,” Wetherington said. “The way the world is right now, everything’s going up, up, up.”
Wetherington is part of a growing body of Americans staying in the workforce past 65, once a traditional marker for retirement. This trend has buoyed the national labor market after years defined by pandemic-induced worker shortages and high quitting rates. It’s also changed the financial outlook for those who remain employed in some capacity, whether for personal satisfaction or monetary need.
This trend should be more apparent than ever in 2025, when more Americans are expected to turn 65 than in any past year, according to a widely read study from the Alliance for Lifetime Income. It dubbed a multiyear period in the late 2020s as the “Peak 65 zone.”
The number of employed Americans 65 and older ballooned more than 33% between 2015 and 2024, according to a CNBC analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By comparison, the labor force for all workers 16 or older has increased less than 9% during the same time period.
That growth has meant workers ages 65 and older accounted for 7% of the total workforce in 2024. That share is up from around 5.7% a decade ago.
“It’s really hard for many employers in many sectors to fill key workforce needs right now,” said Jim Malatras, strategy chief at FedCap, a nonprofit that helps train and place people in jobs. Tapping this age group “can help build key capacity where it’s desperately needed.”
An ‘anchor’ for retirement
While the swelling number of workers in this age bracket — more than 11 million in 2024 — has gained attention in recent years, the reasons for this outsized growth date back decades.
Chief among the drivers is the fact that America’s population is aging, according to Laura Quinby, an associate director at Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research.
But structural shifts in the retirement system have also encouraged working later in life, Quinby said. The transition in the private sector from employer-funded pensions to 401(k)s and other defined-contribution plans created a need for many workers to remain employed longer. Social Security reforms in the 1980s pushed the program’s “full retirement age” from 65 to 67.
“People really do use the Social Security full retirement age as an anchor in terms of when they should retire and claim benefits,” Quinby said. “That shift triggered a trend in people working longer.”
Longer life spans have pushed a growing chorus of voices to call for the age of retirement to move back even further, especially as financial uncertainties swirl around Social Security. BlackRock Chair Larry Fink, for instance, said in an annual letter that it’s “a bit crazy” that the expectation of retiring at 65 “originates from the time of the Ottoman Empire.”
Yet there are vastly different reasons and experiences for people of retirement age to continue working in some capacity, said Teresa Ghilarducci, director of The New School’s Retirement Equity Lab.
Some do retire, and some continue to work in jobs that they love out of passion alone. But she said about two-thirds of those still working do it “because they have to.” They can be in jobs with high physical or mental requirements, she said, but they see few alternatives, given that their Social Security checks can’t sustain them.
“I call it the tale of two retirements,” Ghilarducci said.
‘Vintage cars’
Employers of all kinds have tried to win and retain this growing base of talent.
Booking.com parent Booking Holdings offers 10 days off annually for so-called grandparent leave, which is separate from time offered to new parents and other paid days off. Grocery store chain Wegmans has a section of its part-time jobs page specifically targeted to seniors, advertising the opportunity to stay active and earn income during retirement.
Retirement-age workers can be seen working in gift shops or greeting restaurant guests for Xanterra, a travel company that owns properties in and around national parks. The company has a program called Helping Hands, which allows Xanterra to staff up during the peak tourist season by offering gigs that typically last a month and a half with 30-hour workweeks.
“The retirement community, or that older workforce, is really an integral part of our overall workforce planning strategy,” said Shannon Dierenbach, Xanterra’s human resources chief. “They certainly bring a level of expertise, wisdom, life skills, perspective that really enhances the overall experience.”
Pedestrians walk past a “hiring now” sign posted outside Wegmans in New York City.
Adam Jeffery | CNBC
Despite these anecdotes, advocates say a pervasive culture of ageism has continued to hurt these Americans in the workforce. “They’re like vintage cars to us,” said FedCap’s Malatras. “They’re built to last, they’re full of value, but they’re treated often like high-mileage Pintos, and they don’t really have an opportunity to serve anymore.”
Employers hoping to better advertise to this community should look at job descriptions and pictures on their jobs pages to ensure there aren’t any subtle signs they favor younger applicants, according to Heather Tinsley-Fix, senior advisor for employer engagement at AARP. She often encourages employers looking for older workers to sign AARP’s pledge, in which businesses commit to measures supporting age equality.
Removing college degree requirements can also help gain the attention of this pool, she said, given that a smaller share completed higher education compared with younger generations. Working from home is a key component of flexibility that these older workers may need, Tinsley-Fix said.
Part of Tinsley-Fix’s argument for employers is the impending “tsunami” of retirements expected within the next decade. If companies don’t tap into groups they previously overlooked, she warned, they’ll struggle to stay at full staffing, as not enough people enter the workforce each year to replace those who left.
Her pitch isn’t all doom-and-gloom, however. Tinsley-Fix said there’s a silver lining: These workers tend to excel at soft skills and can provide mentorship to younger staffers. At Xanterra’s sites, for example, retirement-age workers interact particularly well with customers and stay calm under pressure, Dierenbach said.
“People talk about all kinds of spillover dividends from having older workers on their teams,” Tinsley-Fix said. “They really benefit from having those folks.”
‘The best thing that ever happened to me’
Those who remain employed do so for a variety of reasons. Multiple workers from this age group told CNBC that no matter the initial rationale — whether financial needs or personal preference — that got them to stay or return to the workforce, they’ve benefited physically and mentally.
“It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Shari Nelson, who began working for nonprofit Vantage Aging through its government-supported job placement program and was hired to stay on after completing it.
The Ohio resident, who works part-time, said the paycheck allows her the financial security to be the kind of grandmother past generations in her family have been. Nelson’s role was previously full-time, but Vantage broke it up into two positions with fewer hours to better accommodate older workers.
Nonprofits were the most popular industry for workers in this age bracket at the end of 2024, with more than 1 out of every 12 in the sector, according to data from payroll platform Gusto. Among the small businesses using Gusto, the firm found the share of workers 65 or older has surged more than 50% since January 2019.
Government is another popular area, according to Gusto. That’s where Florida resident Anne Sallee, who was once a public official, found herself after she decided a full retirement wasn’t for her.
Sallee, who had a long career as a paralegal and now works as an economic development coordinator, said the return to in-person office work was a “shock” after more than a decade away. However, she said the personal benefits of having deadlines and a routine, as well as a passion for the role, keep her coming back.
“I don’t enjoy not having things I have to do,” Sallee said. “I never envisioned the ‘sit on the beach with your feet up and a cocktail’ kind of lifestyle.”
Still, Sallee said she’s taken some liberties that she may not have early in her career or when starting a new position. For instance, the 68-year-old avoids working overtime and takes a three-week vacation annually.
“If that ever becomes a problem,” she said of her yearly stretch of time off, “the vacation will take priority.”
On July 20, Andy Burnham has been chosen to be the next Prime Minister in UK. The appointment of a new Prime Minister in the United Kingdom often raises questions from people outside the country, especially when no nationwide election has taken place. Many wonder how a new national leader can assume office without voters casting ballots. The answer lies in the UK’s parliamentary system, where the Prime Minister is not directly elected by the public but is instead chosen based on who commands the confidence of the House of Commons.
How the UK Selects Its Prime Minister
Unlike presidential systems where citizens vote directly for the head of government, the United Kingdom elects Members of Parliament (MPs) during a general election. The political party that secures a majority of seats in the House of Commons usually forms the government, and that party selects its own leader to serve as Prime Minister.
If the leader resigns, becomes unable to continue, or is replaced by their party, the governing party can choose a new leader without triggering a general election. As long as the new leader is able to maintain the confidence of Parliament, they can immediately become Prime Minister after being formally appointed by the monarch.
Why No Election Was Required
A general election is not automatically required every time the office of Prime Minister changes hands. The governing party retains its parliamentary majority because voters elected MPs rather than an individual Prime Minister. If the ruling party chooses a new leader through its internal leadership process, the government continues to operate without interruption.
This constitutional arrangement provides stability and allows the government to continue functioning during periods of political transition. It also avoids the expense and disruption of holding a nationwide election every time party leadership changes.
The King’s Constitutional Role
After a governing party elects a new leader, the monarch invites that individual to form a government. This constitutional step is largely ceremonial and follows long-established conventions. The King appoints the person most likely to command a majority in the House of Commons, ensuring continuity of government.
Although the monarch formally appoints the Prime Minister, political power rests with Parliament and the elected representatives of the British people.
Could an Election Still Happen?
Yes. A newly appointed Prime Minister has the authority to request a general election if they believe it is politically advantageous or if they seek a stronger public mandate. Parliament can also reach a point where a government loses the confidence of the House of Commons, potentially leading to an election or the formation of a new government.
In many cases, however, a new Prime Minister continues governing until the next scheduled general election.
What This Means for the UK
The UK’s parliamentary democracy is designed to ensure government continuity while respecting the results of the most recent general election. Leadership changes within the governing party do not automatically alter the composition of Parliament, which is why a new Prime Minister can take office without another nationwide vote.
Understanding this process helps explain why political transitions in the United Kingdom can appear different from those in countries with presidential systems. While the Prime Minister may change, the democratic mandate of Parliament remains in place until voters elect a new House of Commons at the next general election.
On July 21, 2026, global economic analysis shifts focus toward a defining structural macroeconomic trend: the massive expansion of public and private capital deployment into high-capacity electrical grid infrastructure. As industrial electrification, automated data center hubs, and renewable energy integration accelerate worldwide, sovereign governments and institutional investors are facing a monumental economic challenge. Updating legacy power grids to meet skyrocketing demand has emerged as a primary driver of long-term capital expenditures and industrial productivity across both developed and emerging market economies.
According to international economic policy updates released this week, grid infrastructure investments are projected to exceed multi-trillion-dollar thresholds over the coming decade. Economic planners caution that without modernized, high-voltage transmission networks, regional manufacturing sectors face severe energy bottlenecks, localized power price volatility, and operational constraints. Consequently, infrastructure spending is rapidly transitioning from passive utility maintenance into a vital component of national economic competitiveness and industrial policy.
The macroeconomic ripple effects of this capital deployment are being felt across global commodity markets and labor networks. High demand for structural industrial inputs—such as copper, aluminum, specialized electrical steel, and high-capacity transformers—has created sustained pricing support for critical material producers. Simultaneously, the specialized technical labor required to manufacture and deploy modern grid hardware is driving wage growth in industrial sectors, adding a complex new layer to central bank disinflation trajectories.
For global policymakers and strategic investors, the economics of energy grid modernization represent a double-edged sword. While massive infrastructure investment boosts short-term gross domestic product (GDP) and strengthens domestic industrial foundations, it requires disciplined fiscal allocation to prevent inflationary crowding-out of private capital. Countries that efficiently streamline grid infrastructure permitting and mobilize private investment will secure lower long-term energy costs, attracting high-tech manufacturing and reinforcing sustainable economic growth.
The international trade architecture entering the second half of 2026 is undergoing a profound structural pivot. As major sovereign economic blocs adjust to the long-term impact of unilateral tariffs and escalating regional subsidies, traditional globalized supply chains are being rapidly replaced by bilateral trade corridors and regional alliance networks. Data released in late July 2026 highlights a significant divergence: while cross-continental freight volumes between non-aligned partners have cooled, intra-regional trade throughout North America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe has surged to record levels. This shift reflects a broader macroeconomic strategy wherein multinational corporations prioritize geopolitical resilience over pure cost minimization.
The primary economic catalyst behind this regionalization is the proliferation of sector-specific tariffs targeting critical industries, notably battery components, clean energy technology, and advanced semiconductor hardware. In response, global manufacturers have adopted multi-tier sourcing models that distribute production across intermediate partner nations before final assembly. While this strategy successfully bypasses primary import duties, it adds structural layers of logistical complexity and administrative oversight. Economists note that while total output remains robust, aggregate production costs have drifted upward, contributing to persistent baseline inflation across major consumer markets.
Simultaneously, currency settlement patterns within these regional blocs are experiencing a notable transformation. Sovereign central banks and commercial institutions are increasingly utilizing localized currency swap lines and digital clearing mechanisms to settle cross-border trade transactions. This transition reduces direct exposure to foreign exchange volatility and mitigates third-party liquidity constraints, further solidifying regional economic cohesion. However, for developing economies situated outside these primary trading alliances, the tightening of international trade networks presents severe challenges, restricting access to key export markets and foreign direct investment.
For corporate strategists and policy analysts navigating late 2026, success requires a thorough understanding of these emerging trade corridors. Organizations must conduct regular risk assessments of their multi-tier supplier networks, model tariff sensitivities under shifting geopolitical scenarios, and invest in real-time supply chain telemetry. As regional economic blocs strengthen their regulatory borders, supply chain agility and compliance fortitude will distinguish market leaders from vulnerable enterprises in the evolving global economy.
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