'Happier in my career than I've ever been': Why more seniors are 'unretiring'

"Stacie Haller, a consultant for executives, recently had a meeting with a former business owner in his early 80s. He'd sold his business, started playing golf, and discovered something about himself: he found golf extremely boring. And now, even though he doesn't need to be, he's back on the job market. 'I'm so vital', he'd told Haller, 'I'm still in the game'."

"Haller is a senior herself. She says could have stuck with retirement after getting furloughed from her recruiting job during the pandemic. Instead, she started independently consulting for senior executives and for Resume Builder. Now? She's working part-time and earning as much as she did before. "I'm happier now in my career than I've ever been," she says."

"According to recent survey of more than 3,500 U.S. seniors by Resume Builder, around one in eight have returned to work as of December 2025, or are planning to do so. Another 16% have never retired, and 4% were actively applying for jobs. Another survey, by financial advice company The Motley Fool from October 2025, found that 54% of 2,000 Americans who get Social Security benefits "have returned to work or considered going back" because Social Security benefits are so low."

Many seniors who retired or sold businesses are returning to the labor market because retirement can feel unfulfilling and boring. One former owner in his early 80s sold his business, tried golf, found it extremely boring, and returned to job seeking despite not needing income. Consultant Stacie Haller, herself a senior, shifted from furlough to independent consulting, now working part-time and earning as much as before, and reports greater career happiness. A Resume Builder survey of over 3,500 U.S. seniors found about one in eight have returned or plan to; 16% never retired and 4% actively applied. The Motley Fool found 54% of Social Security recipients returned or considered returning due to low benefits.

Read at Fast Company