How Do Older Workers Use Nontraditional Jobs?

The brief’s key findings are:

• Nontraditional jobs – defined here as jobs without health and retirement benefits – are on the rise among older workers.
• The impact of such jobs depends on how long they last – a temporary stint could provide needed flexibility while frequent use could undermine retirement security.
• The findings show that, strikingly, only about one-quarter of workers ages 50-62 are consistently in traditional jobs with benefits.
• Most of those in nontraditional work turn out to be frequent users, and they end up with lower retirement incomes at 62 than those consistently in traditional jobs.