What it's like to work over the age of 80

"I'm fascinated by Americans over 80 who are still working - either because they want to, have to, or both. Older workers long past retirement age are the fastest-growing sector of the US labor market. They're twice as likely to be in the workforce now as they were in the early 1990s. For the past year, Business Insider has explored why this cohort is growing. What's driving it? And what are the repercussions?"

"My colleague Noah Sheidlower traveled to nine states and spoke to nearly 200 people over 80 years old for this project. He interviewed a range of folks: bookkeepers and lawyers, forklift drivers and Home Depot employees, Uber drivers and substitute teachers, among many others. Some pieces are heartbreaking: "I'm worried every night when I go to bed that what I have isn't going to last until I die," Patricia Willson, a 93-year-old job seeker with a fractured back, told Noah. "For God's sake, I should have saved every penny I could save.""

Americans over 80 are increasingly present in the workforce and now represent the fastest-growing segment, twice as likely to be employed as in the early 1990s. Growth stems from mixed motives: some individuals continue working by choice, others by financial necessity, and many for both reasons. Research included interviews across nine states with nearly 200 people over 80, covering bookkeepers, lawyers, forklift drivers, Home Depot employees, Uber drivers, and substitute teachers. Personal accounts range from financial anxiety and fragile health to continued physical ability and pride in work. Examples include a 93-year-old worried about savings and an 82-year-old committed to working while able.

Read at Business Insider