Saturday, March 23, 2002

A story published today by the Detroit News reports that a few years ago, Charlotte Sherman planned to retire at age 62. But divorce and the economic downturn have put that goal out of arm’s reach.

With none of her ex-husband's pension and with access to very little Social Security money, Sherman, 67, says she'll have to work "till I drop. I don't have much choice."

Sherman is among the growing number of older Americans who are staying on the job longer because they can't afford to retire.

Some older men and women keep working by choice, but "others do it to pay the bills," said Penny Hommel, director for the Center for Social Gerontology, an Ann Arbor-based group providing legal and health resources to seniors. "It would not surprise me to see more (older) people working many years past retirement."

Sherman's decision to keep working followed a divorce that dramatically changed her financial circumstances. For many years, she was a full-time homemaker and mom, so her retirement income is mostly Social Security.

Sherman considers herself lucky. She has a good job at Dearborn's senior center, dispatching a van and doing other duties.

Still, the prospect of working into her 80s is frightening.

"(You) try not to think too far into the future," she said. "If you do, you go batty."