Are baby boomers going to stay in the workplace, or get out as soon as they can? It all depends on whom you ask.

According to a recent survey by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, more than half of the oldest baby boomers — those born in 1946 — retired by the time they reached their 66th birthday and qualified for full Social Security retirement benefits.

Many were enjoying their retirements even though about half of them had hoped to stay working longer than they did.

But the study’s researchers also found the remaining 66-year-olds still working planned to stay in the workplace for at least four more years.

Retiring early

The survey asked 1,003 people about their retirement plans last winter. It found 52 percent of them retired and stopped working altogether, while another 19 percent retired but continued to work a part-time or seasonal job.

More importantly, the survey found about 54 percent of the people who retired by their 66th birthday left the workplace before the age at which they planned to retire— a figure that ranged from 66 in 2008 to 69 in 2011 — most likely because they had health problems or lost their jobs.

Researchers found 38 percent of the people who retired by 66 did as planned while another 8 percent hoped to retire earlier but didn’t because they needed their salaries/benefits packages, enjoyed their jobs or wanted to save more money.

Slightly more than three-fourths of the oldest boomers who retired found plans were going as expected even though 58 percent said they were earning less than when they worked. One in 10 retirees surveyed said they “were bored and didn’t have enough to do.”

But things are slightly different for the remaining 27 percent still working a full-time job.

The survey found that while 24 percent didn’t know when they’d be able to retire, 28 percent believed they would by age 67, 12 percent at 68, 1 percent at 69, 22 percent at age 70 and 14 percent believed they could retire by 71 or older.

The survey found the average age people believed they could comfortably retire was 70.6 and the average age they planned to retire was 71.2. Boomers born in 1946 can increase their Social Security benefits by 8 percent for every year they delay retirement until their 70th birthday.

But the survey found even these plans were flexible.

While 69 percent of the working 66-year-olds didn’t change their retirement plans between 2011 and 2012, the survey found 2 percent realized they could retire earlier than planned one year ago and 30 percent were looking at staying in the workforce at least one year longer than planned.

The survey found 32 percent of the 66-year-olds who were looking at retiring later than they had planned in 2011 were doing so because they enjoyed their jobs and 27 percent said because they need the money.

— Reporter: 541-617-7816, mmclean@bendbulletin.com

By the numbers

A recent survey found more than half of 66-year-olds have retired from their full-time jobs, even though many of them would have liked to stay in the workforce a little bit longer than they did. The survey also found almost a third of the 66-year-olds who are still working might end up retiring later than they had previously planned.

Retirees

* 54 percent of the retired 66-year-olds left the workforce earlier than they had planned.

* 25 percent because they lost their jobs.

* 9 percent because they reached their retirement savings goals.

* 32 percent because of health reasons.

* 38 percent of the retired 66-year-olds left the workforce when they planned to retire.

* 8 percent of the retired 66-year-olds ended up staying in the workforce longer than they had planned.

Workers

* 69 percent of the 66-year-olds still working didn’t change their retirement plans between 2011 and 2012.

* 30 percent of the 66-year-olds still working said they will end up retiring later than they thought in 2011.

* 32 percent because they enjoy working and want to stay active.

* 27 percent because they need the money

* 68 percent will retire at least three years later than planned.

* Less than 2 percent of the 66-year-olds still working said they will retire earlier than they thought in 2011.

Source: MetLife Mature Market Institute