Retirees rejoin the workforce in Southwest Florida

Writer: Drew Hill
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News

Many retirees are getting back into the workforce, and they have different reasons for doing so.

More than anything, they say, they’re coming back to work to make ends meet. It’s difficult for these retirees, especially with the rising cost of living in Southwest Florida.

Working towards retirement is part of the American dream. But, full retirement could be a thing of the past for some.

Kimberly Stache is now a charge nurse after retiring from the executive branch of a hospital in Chicago. “My husband was able to retire at 55. That was my goal. And I did it for 11 months and then decided I had to go back to work,” Stache said.

High consumer costs in Southwest Florida pushed her to get back into her field. “I’m very concerned about the rising costs. Where originally I thought maybe I would retire this June but, that’s not going to happen this year,” said Stache.

Unexpected costs keep her on the clock. But also medical bills and necessities are seeing rising costs as well. “My husband has two metastatic cancers, and one of his meds was going to cost us $1,000 a month,” she said. “Going out to dinner, groceries, milk, gas, like your everyday essentials. And so, I was concerned about how long our retirement dollars would last us. ”

The work is taking a toll on her body. “My body isn’t as physically able to do the labor and heavy lifting of a nurse on a full-time basis,” said Stache.

But she has to keep going in order to sustain their lives. “I find it probably impossible to think about retirement for the next five or six years,” Stache said.

More than 2.5% of retired workers came out of retirement and returned to the workforce last month, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

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