Romania, champion in the EU for work after retirement. Many elderly people cannot afford to stop.

Romania ranks first in the European Union in terms of the percentage of retirees who continue to work out of necessity, with 54.3% of them active in the labor market after retirement age.

The European average is 28.6%, while Bulgaria follows with 53.6%. These figures highlight the persistent issues related to pension incomes, which are not sufficient to cover living costs.

At the level of the European Union, 12.9% of retirees remain employed in the first six months after retirement, but the motivations vary: 36.3% work for pleasure, while 28.6% do so for financial reasons. In Romania, the majority of active retirees state that they remain employed due to financial difficulties, reflecting a broader trend in Southeastern Europe, where pension systems offer a lower income replacement rate. Analysts emphasize that low average pensions, inflation, and income disparities contribute to this situation, turning work after retirement into an economic necessity rather than a personal choice.