Unretirees: The growing trend of returning to work

A growing cohort of individuals, often referred to as ‘unretirees,’ are choosing to return to the workforce after initially planning for retirement. This trend involves people in their 50s and 60s who find that full retirement does not meet their desire to remain active or contribute to society.

One individual, Mary Cambray, transitioned from owning an estate agency to teaching history after realizing retirement was insufficient. Similarly, others have pivoted from established careers, such as engineering, into nonprofit leadership or entrepreneurship. For example, a former Lockheed Martin engineer founded a nonprofit that provided over $3 million in childcare scholarships before becoming an inventor.

Data reflects this shift: research from Standard Life indicates one in six retirees have returned to work or are considering it. Additionally, Department for Work and Pensions figures show that the proportion of people over 65 with employment earnings rose to 16 percent in 2025, up from 14 percent three years prior.