Research shows the unretired have better mobility, feel healthier, and report a better quality of life
All over Europe, people are reaching retirement age, taking a pension, and then getting a job. According to the most recent Labour Force Survey, more than 5 million of the 200 million Europeans working in 2019 were over the age of 65, marking an increase of 82 per cent in 15 years.
Reasons for joining the ranks of the socalled “unretired” vary, though only a fifth of workers over 65 take jobs solely out of financial necessity, according to Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Most do it because they love their jobs: EU statistics show that 93 per cent of earners aged
65 to 74 are happy in
74 their employment. This return to the workforce keeps economists happy too. “More employment among people post-retirement stimulates the economy and is good for everyone as long as they want to work,” says Hans Dubois, research manager at Eurofound.
While it's possible that older and younger generations sometimes compete for jobs, Dubois points out that parttime work and certain positions—like ones that involve mentoring—may actually be better suited to older employees.
There are also clear mental and physical health benefits when pensioners pursue an occupation. Research based on the ongoing Survey of Health, Ageing,
and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) shows the unretired have better mobility, feel healthier, and report a better quality of life than their retired peers. In addition, they are less depressed and have a sharper memory.
Here are the stories of four people who opted for unretirement and aren't looking back.
gives them the chance to do just that. Recent outings include visits to the geological institute in the capital Ljubljana to learn about fracking, and to limestone caves boasting natural bridges and waterfalls.
Taking a job after retirement is unusual in Slovenia, where you can access your pension at age 60 if you have 40 years of service. Only 6.6 per cent of Slovenians aged 65 to 69 work, compared to the EU average of 13 per cent.
Medak likes to meet friends for coffee or to play boules or cards, but working offers something different. “When you're older you can become less tolerant,” she says. “There's a saying: ‘If you're alone at home, you're always in good company.' We must avoid this way of thinking.”
Dr Dominique Hérault closed the door of his surgery for the last time in May 2016 after a 37-year career as a general practitioner. Eight months later, the pensioner heard from a friend who chaired the French Order of Doctors in the department of Mayenne, where Dr Hérault lives. Hundreds of patients in the nearby town of Laval were without a GP. Would Dr Hérault head up a new
76 health centre there, staffed by retired doctors and medical students?
Despite enjoying his newfound freedom, he says, “I thought, why not? It gave me the opportunity to get back to work, which I love to do.”
The statutory retirement age in France is currently 62, but Dr Hérault found plenty of retired doctors in the area were keen to join him. “First of all, we're all passionate about medicine!” he says. “Secondly, we can be of service. Thirdly, we can supplement our pension.” According to the National Committee of the French Order of Doctors, the number of retired doctors still practising leapt by 226 per cent between 2010 and 2020. The Henri Dunant Medical Centre in Laval opened in June 2017. The retired GPS each work four days a
month, while four medical interns each come in once a week. All told, the doctors at the centre care for about 4,000 patients. Dr Hérault regularly does 30 consultations over the course of a ten-hour workday. Despite the gruelling pace, he insists that “one day a week isn't tiring.” There's still plenty of time for gardening, golf, his seven grandchildren, and other activities, like helping his son build an extension on his home.
The interns come to the older doctors for advice and there are joint consultations on complicated cases. The experienced GPS teach trainees how to properly examine patients, and the students bring their older colleagues up to date on medical guidance. Dr Hérault sees his job as a win-win situation on multiple levels. “Working with young people is energising,” he says. “I'm doing something that's good for my mind and my body, and I'm bringing something to society.”
Dr Hérault plans to carry on for another two or three years until enough new GPS finish their training. For now, his patients are just thankful they finally have a doctor to consult— whatever his age.
This morning, as on most mornings, Francine Pirlot is seated at her sewing machine. Surrounded by rolls of cloth and peering over her reading glasses, she is busy making blinds for an embassy in Brussels. The smallbusiness owner spends about 50 hours a week in her workshop.
“I adore working with fabric,” she says. “It's creative. You start with an ugly piece of material and turn it into something beautiful. When you see the photos in a client's home, you think, That’s quite pretty. I'm proud of my handiwork.”
Since Pirlot took it up 30 years ago, sewing has been a financial lifeline— and she wouldn't have it any other way. When her children were small, it allowed her to better support her family after her divorce. These days, there's the rent on her home and other bills to pay, plus she likes to treat her children and grandchildren,
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so working helps her supplement a state pension that was, until recently, just 525 euros a month (the government has since increased it). Pirlot's small pension was the result of working with her ex-husband as an épouse-aidante (a spouse-helper) at their cocktail bar for 15 years. There were tax and social security advantages to this arrangement, but when the couple split up, it meant Pirlot hadn't made the necessary contributions to have a decent pension in her own name.
Three years ago, Pirlot reached state retirement age—currently 65 in Belgium but going up to 67—yet continues to produce soft furnishings. “I make a good living,” she says. Still, she has flexibility. Like almost 42 per cent of European workers aged 65 to 74, Francine is self-employed; if she wants to take time to see her family, go to the cinema, or take a holiday, she can. Pirlot shares her workspace with an interior decorator and friend 20 years her junior. Customers at their shop, La Maison de Florence Côté Déco, sometimes think they are mother and daughter. Their two cats sleep in the window display and are local celebrities with devoted fans (a sample message sent to the shop's Facebook page: “That wicker chair
78 isn't very comfortable for the cats.
You need to put a cushion on it”).
Sitting at home doing nothing isn't an option for Pirlot. “Working is much better for my mental health,” she says. “Every day I get dressed up out of respect for my clients. Even if I didn't work, I'd do some volunteering or give sewing classes. You have to have an aim to your day.”
Five years ago, at the annual sales conference of the electronic security equipment company he'd helped run for two decades, Derek Myers was about to announce he was retiring. Then his business partner said, “We've got more work for you to do. You're not retiring, so don't announce it! We need your knowledge.”
At first Myers was shocked. He and his wife, Christine, had already moved from London to the seaside