These 100-year-olds say working beyond retirement age keeps them going: ‘I’ll work for as long as I can’

Working for the rest of your life may sound unappealing but many 100-year-olds around the globe say doing what they love and not retiring is what keeps them feeling youthful and fulfilled.

In a popular book about longevity, “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life,” the principle of ikigai is credited as one of keys to longevity and well-being. Ikigai means the happiness of always being busy.

One of the rules of ikigai is to stay active and not retire, and many centenarians, especially those living in the world’s blue zones, never do.

We spoke to several centenarians over the past year and a half about what behaviors and traits they believe helped them to live a long and happy life. Here’s why they say finding meaningful work and not retiring played a major role.

Virginia Oliver, 104, has been catching lobsters since she was eight years old, and she really enjoys it. So much so that the centenarian signed up for lobster-catching season this year.

Oliver’s secret to living beyond age 100 boils down to: “You’ve gotta keep living, you gotta keep working. It’s not easy,” she said in a mini-documentary about her life.

When asked about her future plans for lobstering by TODAY.com, Oliver said, “I’m not going to retire,” adding, “I’m going to do this till I die.”

Deborah Szekely, a 102-year-old, started her fitness resort and spa alongside her then-husband in 1940. More than eight decades later, Szekely still works at her business three times a week.

“We have fabulous speakers every night. I meet with the presenters [every] Tuesday, so I know what my guests are talking about,” she told CNBC Make It in May.

“Wednesday, I speak. And Thursday, I meet individuals who I want to know, or friends. So I work three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.”

Every week that she shows up at her spa, Szekely said, “it makes a change.”

“When nature says, ‘You got to stop, Deborah,’ Deborah will stop. Until then she’ll keep going,” she added.

Madeline Paldo was a recent retiree at age 100 when she spoke to Make It in September of 2023. Paldo worked between the ages of 18 and 99.

Working “kept me busy, and I enjoyed working,” she said. “Retirement, I don’t like too much.”

Paldo supported her family’s business based in Chicago where they produced electric signs, and she was responsible for office work which allowed her to interact with customers daily.

“I liked being with the public. I liked being with people,” she told CNBC Make It. “And I was the only one in the office that did all of the office work for our business, so it was enjoyable. I liked to go to work.”

Jayne Burns, who was turning 101 in the month following her interview with CNBC Make It in 2023, still worked four days a week as a part-time fabric cutter at a crafts store.

“I enjoy what I do, so I want to keep doing it,” Burns told Make It. “I’ll work for as long as I can or as long as they’ll have me.”

She tried to retire several times over the years but would “unretire” within a few months, she said. Working at jobs that she enjoyed gave her a daily routine which she values and allowed her to interact with new people.

“Staying busy keeps you from focusing on your aches and pains,” she said. “It makes it easier to keep going.”