I suspect the COVID fiasco convinced a lot of people in the 55+ age cohort to simply retire rather than deal with the idiocy imposed on them by government and corporate leaders.
“I suspect the COVID fiasco convinced a lot of people in the 55+ age cohort to simply retire rather than deal with the idiocy imposed on them by government and corporate leaders.”
I was part of that cohort/group, when I took early retirement at age 56, 27 years ago.
Air Travel had become a PIA. Our company had become a precursor to the crud now re racist B$ and just pure Affirmative Action B$!
So, when they offered a great early retirement package, I took it and never looked back except to say thank you and goodby to a few good people.
Now, I’m a role model/advocate re early retirement.
Probably most of our younger 55+ relatives if they got a fair early retirement plan/offer with health care covered would be gone rather quickly.
Others might try to do a work at home for 3 days a week. One of our relatives has done this since her husband had a stroke 2 years ago. She tried to retire to help him,and her employers installed an office for free in her home. She works 2-3 days at home and a short day in the office each week for basically the same pay.
A non relative friend of my wife retired as an office manager for a group of dentists, for decades. After about 2 weeks without her, she got a work at home offer for about 2.5 days, a good raise and no commute. They installed a home office at their expense and pay for any office needs she might have.
Some of our adult offspring/relations are now in their final countdown re kids in college.
We expect many of them to start part time jobs at an office, a new job or at home after their kids are graduated from college.