These numbers may just denote a simple need for money and benefits. That's the reason three in five retirees, questioned by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, claimed they were working past the age of 65.
Almost half of the respondents said they needed the money. A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed that 60% of US households have no money in a 401(k) or similar retirement account, and the benefits of 401(k)s are skewed toward the wealthiest Americans.
Skilled and experienced workers are more valuable to employers. Based on the Center for Retirement Research findings, the highest salary years have shifted from the 40s to the 50s by 2010, and Americans in their late 60s were making 30 percent more than they did 25 years earlier.
Working past 65 doesn't necessarily mean retirement will be shorter, as the average life expectancy in the US has risen compared to three decades ago.
A less optimistic but possible reason would be that Americans are not enjoying their golden age. Employee Benefit Research Institute found that between 1998 and 2012 there has been a decline in the share of respondents, regardless of economic group, who claim that they are happy in retirement.