Scott Schieman is Canada Research Chair and Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto.
The reasons for wanting to work aren’t only for octogenarians.
We all get psychosocial rewards from work – albeit not the same quantity or quality. Despite those individual differences, however, the fundamentals are worth paying attention to.
I’m a sociologist who studies what people think and feel about work – and how they talk about it. From 2022 to 2024, with the assistance of survey research firms YouGov and the Angus Reid Group, I’ve led four separate nationally representative surveys of the American working population, asking questions about the quality of working life.
Because so few are still working, finding people in their 80s to participate in nationally representative surveys is a challenge. Out of the total sample size of 12,120 working Americans pooled across my four surveys, only 41 (0.34 per cent) were age 80 or older. That’s consistent with estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I’ve long been curious: What is work for – beyond the money? Those 41 octogenarians shared insights that generalize across generations, starting with self-understanding: How much does your job help you understand the sort of person you really are?
“A lot,” replied an 80-year-old high school teacher. “Teaching requires excellence of character, if done properly, and that presents the occasion for much self-reflection,” he told me.
He strongly rejected the increasingly prevalent attitude that a job is nothing more than just a way of earning money: “My work consists of teaching mathematics to high school students,” he said. “I view my work as a sacred mission – it is not mere work for pay but a mission in building lives of the young, helping them achieve according to their best abilities.”
An 81-year-old who works as a receptionist at a community centre expressed similar sentiments about what her job reveals about her sense of self: “It allows me to be helpful and prove that I treat others well,” she said. “It proves that I am a team player.”
Why does she continue to work? “I’m still working to keep my mind active, not because I need the money … it makes me feel productive, keeps my mind engaged and keeps me in daily contact with other people,” she said. “It’s always good to learn new things.”
She wasn’t the only one who stayed because of the learning. An 83-year-old journalist who also rejected the “job is just a paycheque” mindset told me: “For me, my job is something I enjoy doing. It challenges my brain and puts me in contact with other people. I like doing it. We all should have jobs we really like doing.”
“This is a very good thing, and one of the primary things that keeps me in this job,” she said. “I need to be challenged and learn new things or I will move on to a job that gives me that aspect.”
An 80-year-old who told me she was “pleased to work in an industry, Travel and Tourism, as a Tour Director,” also emphasized the learning associated with her job. “I read two newspapers daily so I can be current with local, city, state, country and international events,” she told me. “I also consult guidebooks and use the internet for continued research.”
An 82-year-old writer echoed the sentiment: “Each writing gig I accept brings me new experiences and the related research expands my knowledge.”
The power of connection flowed through the stories. An 86-year-old who described his forestry job as “fun” because he “gets to work with his hands outdoors” emphasized the importance of “being with others.”
Likewise, an 81-year-old who packs bags and boxes elaborated on the theme: “The people I work with are extremely good, kind, caring people and we work as a team.” That’s why she really looked forward to going to work most days.
One part of connecting involves having a say on the job. An 80-year-old aviation weather observer relishes taking part in making important decisions that affect her. “We co-operate in setting all work schedules,” she told me. “This affects each of us every day that we work.”
Then she added this when I asked what she’d miss about the job if she left: “Talking to the airplane pilots and watching the sky.”
Another element of connecting is appreciation. “Every time I perform well, I am thanked,” said an 80-year-old real estate agent. A simple yet powerful idea … one that is too often neglected.
What’s the take-away? A job builds self-understanding, learning, and connecting. For 21-year-olds, 51-year-olds, and 81-year-olds alike.
That’s what work does for us and to us – and why some don’t want to give it up.
“As an older person, there are times when I wonder what it would be like to just sit on a sunny beach without a thing to do,” an 80-year-old who makes copper and glass jewellery told me.
But … she’s still working.
This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.