For many retirees, working part time or intermittently to enjoy the flexibility of reduced hours or a shortened work week is a very attractive option and in many cases, a necessity.
With a less than predictable economy, having a regular paycheck and private health insurance benefits provides a higher sense of security and power over your future.
And after all, prior to the industrial age that invented "retirement" due to the requirement of heavy paced, high stamina working conditions -- retiring from work was a gradual process for even many who could afford otherwise. Work was a part of living, with work maybe just becoming a more enjoyable part of living as the opportunity to slow down allowed.
