Retirement refers to voluntary or involuntary termination of regular, full-time career jobs. These are the principal reasons why older Americans want to continue working after retirement:
1. The desire for continued interesting/stimulating/challenging work to maintain cognitive skills and abilities
2. The desire to maintain self-esteem and self-fulfillment by continuing in productive activities that add value
3. The desire to maintain relationships with the outside world and to remain socially connected
4. The attraction of continued part-time work, without the responsibility and stress of a full-time job, to enhance the satisfaction with life and overall feeling of well being
5. The opportunity, when available, for a phased retirement program or flexible workplace options that offer greater choices plus an attractive benefits package that includes healthcare coverage
6. The need for additional income to maintain a standard of living or the desire to have additional income for discretionary spending
7. Recognition that, with knowledge of their increased longevity and vulnerability of their financial resources through market fluctuations, it may be necessary or desirable to generate additional income
