Worker Admits It's Absurd That The U.S. Minimum Retirement Age Is 65 — 'You Most Likely Only Live Till 76'
She undeniably has a point.
Prostock-studio | Shutterstock When toiling away in the workforce, retirement is often on your mind. You put your hard-earned money aside in hopes that one day you will have accumulated enough to enjoy the rest of your life work-free. However, as one woman on TikTok pointed out, the retirement age in the United States doesn't give us a lot of time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.
The woman took to TikTok to discuss the absurdity of the U.S. retirement age.
Kuru, who goes by the username @kuruthegemini on the app, shared her unfavorable opinion on the U.S. retirement age.
“Y’all, they really said … work till you’re 65,” Kuru said before collapsing into a fit of giggles. “And then … you most likely only live till 76.”
She pointed out that this only gives each person “11 years to play.”
According to the Social Security Administration, the retirement age depends on the year you were born, but is actually 67 for anyone born after 1960. This includes Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and even some late Baby Boomers.
“Oh, earth math,” Kuru lamented.
Yet this might not be an earth issue. Current statistics show that Saudi Arabia is the country with the lowest retirement age — 47. Turkey is not far behind at 52. Iceland, Israel, and Norway also all have a retirement age of 67. The U.S., among other countries, forces workers to retire a full 20 years after Saudi Arabia.
In 2022, the CDC reported that life expectancy in the U.S. had dropped to 76.1 years, the lowest it's been since 1996. By Kuru’s estimate, this does offer “11 years to play.” However, based on information from the Social Security Administration, it actually offers less than 10.
It seems unfortunate to spend your entire life working only to be rewarded with about nine years of retirement time.
"I need them to come up with a new formula, one that makes some sense," Kuru said in a follow-up video. "But until then, I'm just gonna be laughing about this [expletive] because what else am I supposed to do?"
"The funniest part is how most of the 401(k)s that we're all investing into are actively funding the destruction of the only planet we can live on," she added. "We’re retiring on Mars, ya’ll."
However long it may be, you can still enjoy your retirement.
Although these statistics may sound unsettling and unfair, having a shorter period for retirement doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy that time.
According to AARP, there are many things you can do to have a happy retirement, including engaging in multiple interests. AARP recommends at least three.
Additionally, it’s important to create new routines and establish your identity outside of your work. After all, you’re not working anymore, which can be a difficult adjustment. AARP said, “For most of our lives, our work is our identity, and once we retire, our identity is gone.”
Nancy Schlossberg, a retirement expert who spoke to AARP, said, “Retirement is a major transition that changes your roles, your routines, your relationships, and your assumptions about yourself and the world. You may struggle to find your path and to develop a new set of routines. You have to be patient.”
The length of time between the retirement age and life expectancy in the U.S. is definitely something worth questioning. This can have a huge effect on each individual’s quality of life, both during retirement and during their working years as they anticipate what is to come. However, retirement years can, and should, still be enjoyed, no matter how short they may be.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.