Although labor force participation among older adults in Philadelphia has increased over the past decade, reaching 17.4% in 2023, most Philadelphians age 65 or over are no longer employed. To better understand why some older Philadelphians have retired and others have continued working past the traditional retirement age, The Pew Charitable Trusts sought insights from a series of focus groups last fall.

Pew contracted with SSRS to conduct focus groups with Philadelphians age 65 or older to better understand the experiences of aging in the city, both for those who are retired and for those who are still working for pay. The goal was to recruit participants from varied
backgrounds.