GLENDALE, Ariz. — A new study showed Glendale and Mesa are among the top U.S. cities with a growing rate of seniors in the workforce.
The study released by SmartAsset.com says there are several factors as to why people are waiting longer to retire.
Those factors include an increase in cost of living, more non-traditional pension options and a late start to saving.
Those financial issues are exacerbated by the current economic downturn stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
As for the study, researchers found individuals in their 60s and up participating in the labor force continued to rise between 2014 and 2018.
Glendale landed at number two on the list of cities tied with Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2014, the senior workforce participation rate was at 17.1% and rose to 17.5% in 2017. By 2018, the rate was at 21.5%.
"The increase from 2014 through 2018 was 4.4%, and from 2017 to 2018, it was 4.0%, the fifth- and sixth-highest rates for these metrics, respectively," the study said.
Mesa made the 17th spot on the list of 25 cities.
Health officials say older adults and those with underlying health conditions are more likely to have severe, and in some cases deadly, complications with contracting COVID-19.
And the workplace has proven to be a potential threat to the health and safety of workers during this time.
Some of the most "dangerous jobs you can have in the age of coronavirus," according to an NBC report, include emergency responder, nursing home assistant, transit worker, janitor, meatpacker, farmworker and corrections officer.
Older adults are being urged to stay at home as much as possible as the virus continues to spread, however many who are still working might not have that option.
