AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to a new study conducted by ChamberofCommerce.org, Austin ranks 12th in the nation for cities with the most working seniors.
The report said more people 65+ are delaying retirement or unretiring and going back to work.
“Specifically, among adults ages 65 to 74, the workforce participation rate is expected to grow from 25.8% to 30.7% by 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,” the report said.
The study shows one in four Austin seniors are still working.
“About 27%, which is higher than the national average, which is about one in five or 21% nationwide,” said researcher with ChamberofCommerce.org Colin Czarnecki.
Top 15 cities with most working seniors:
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Tallahassee, Florida
- Dallas, Texas
- Irvine, California
- Washington, DC
- Plano, Texas
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Overland Park, Kansas
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Arlington, Texas
- Austin, Texas
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Nashville, Tennessee
Occupations with highest median age
The study also looked at which jobs have the oldest workers.
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural occupations have the highest median age. Specifically, farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers have the highest median age of any occupation, which is 56.2,” the study said.
Other jobs with median age above 50 included:
- Shuttle and school bus drivers
- Judges
- Building inspectors
- Realtors
- Religious workers
‘It’s my passion’
For 31 years, Clement Strmiska has been a cotton farmer. He’s the owner of Waterloo Cotton Gin in Taylor.
At 60-years-old, Strmiska said it’s harder to get around as the years go by.
“The old people just walk more slow, but that’s okay,” Strmiska said. “I guess when we can’t walk, we’ll start crawling, haha.”
Yet, he has no plans of stopping.
“Why would I want to retire?” Strmiska asked. “Yeah, that would be worthless.”
Strmiska said he understands why older people are still wanting to work.
“School bus drivers, you know, they kind of retire but they still want to play around with something,” he said. “So, it’s a job where they can work a couple hours in the morning and then two, three hours in the afternoon.”
For Strmiska, this is his passion. He said he’ll continue for years to come.
“It’s hard work but golly, somebody’s got to do it,” he said.
When should I retire?
Czarnecki said deciding when to retire is one of the most important financial and person decisions a worker can make.
“Before making that leap to retirement, you should make sure you have things factored in, in terms of your finances,” Czarnecki said. “Like your savings, Social Security benefits, your spending habits, as well as economic volatility and how your social life will change after retirement.”
