According to a new study by the University of Wuppertal for the Bertelsmann Foundation-reported by the “Handelsblatt”-roughly three‑quarters of early retirees in Germany would be willing to keep working, provided the circumstances were right.
While the employment rate of people over 60 has risen markedly in recent years, the researchers note that a “culture of early retirement” still prevails. Lead investigator Martin Hasselhorn points out that only a quarter of the retirees surveyed outright reject the idea of any later work.
Already, one‑fifth of the respondents are still in the labour market, demonstrating that employment in early retirement is no fringe phenomenon but a substantial trend. Moreover, 14 % explicitly expressed a desire to return to work.
An additional 37 % said they would be open to working again, but only when the researchers asked them; they are not actively seeking new jobs. For these individuals, the key factors are the ability to set the scope and hours of their work themselves and to work in a pleasant social environment.
