No, your eyes are not fooling you—the number of folks working into retirement age has definitely grown.
More than that, a National Institutes of Health study has shown that the population of folks over the age of 60 who are still working doubled from 2000 to 2020.
Over the years, a falling birth rate in the U.S. and no default retirement age have kept senior citizens in the workforce longer, another study shows. Combined with the fact that folks are living longer, having more employees of a certain age is necessary to meet labor demands.
One Stripes customer came face to face with this phenomenon playing out in the U.S. labor market on his way to work when he stopped in at the Laredo Taco Company located inside the gas station and found an elderly man staffing the taco counter.
The customer, TikTok user @juanydebt, ended up being late for work, as the elderly man moved quite slowly—but he could not find it in himself to be upset about it.
“When you’re late to work because you decided to stop at Stripes for breakfast tacos and the Taco Lady happens to be a sweet little slow moving hundred year old white guy,” he captioned his video.
@juanydebt When you’re late to work because you decided to stop at Stripes for breakfast tacos and the Taco Lady happens to be a sweet little slow moving hundred year old white guy. ❤️ #TacoManSam #sanmarcostx #78666 #LaredoTacoCompany #StripesTacos #TacoLady #stripes ♬ Suspicious, slow and simple song – Kohrogi
The Daily Dot has reached out to @juanydebt via TikTok direct message regarding the video.
Many viewers echoed the sentiment of the creator and praised the older man for still being in the workforce.
“I’d wait for as long as it would take,” one commenter wrote. “Much respect to that gentleman.”
“No doubt the only dependable worker that will show up and actually do his job,” another said. “God bless him.”
“I love how he patted them that’s when you know someone is making it with love god bless this young man,” a further user commented.
Others expressed that they hoped the man worked because he wanted to—not because a tough economy means he has to.
“I want to cry… not fare grandpa is still working to survive in this World,” one commented. “Bless his effort and heart.”
“Hopefully he’s doing this to get out of house and not a must!” another wrote.
“I hope he’s working because he wants to and not because he has to!” a further viewer said.