Working longer isn’t a foolproof retirement plan — 46% of 2025 retirees left earlier than planned, survey finds

Hero Images | Hero Images | Working longer is among the best ways to make up for a retirement funding shortfall , financial experts say. But there's a big problem with that strategy: There's no guarantee you'll be able to work longer. Almost half — 46% — of people who retired in 2025 did so earlier than anticipated, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a think tank, which released its annual Retirement Confidence Survey on April 21. The bulk do so for unforeseen reasons, including health conditions, layoffs, or caregiving for a loved one, experts said. Those curveballs can hobble people's retirement plans. "People retiring earlier than planned can end up with a much worse retirement than expected and may need to rely on others, make significant lifestyle changes, and if they have a spouse, can change the spouse's retirement plans," Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefits research at EBRI, a think tank, wrote in an e-mail. EBRI polled 2,544 Americans age 25 and older in January. That base included 1,007 workers, 1,045 retirees and an oversample of 492 caregivers. Why delaying retirement works well — for those who can Delaying retirement can have a range of positive financial impacts: Such people don't have to live off their savings, since they get a regular paycheck. They have more time to save and for their assets to grow, hopefully. …