Retirement Trends and Patterns in the 1990s: The End of an Era?

This article documents the dramatic change in retirement trends of the mid-1980's, mentions some of the contributing factors that may have lead to the change, and discusses some preliminary research on the nature of retirement patterns in the 1990's. Results show that both older men and women are working much more now than the pre-1985 retirement trends would have predicted. HRS data emphasizes that retirement patterns in America are varied and confirms the importance of gradual retirement, especially bridge jobs, to the retirement process of the 1990s.