Dr. Oz Pushes for Delaying Retirement to Boost Economy

Critics argue economic output isn't the only value to consider when encouraging longer work lives.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has suggested that if Americans worked an additional year before retiring, it could generate $3 trillion in economic value and help shore up Medicare and Social Security. However, some experts disagree that working longer will necessarily boost productivity or the economy.

Why it matters

Oz's proposal to delay retirement raises questions about the balance between economic output and quality of life, as well as the challenges many Americans face in working longer due to health or employment issues.

The details

Data shows the average retirement age is already increasing, with women retiring at 62.6 and men at 64.6 as of 2024. But critics like economist Teresa Ghilarducci argue that adding less productive older workers may not actually improve GDP. Ghilarducci says the economy's wealth depends on more than just output.

  • In 2024, the average retirement age for women was 62.6 and for men was 64.6.
  • Last week, Dr. Oz made his comments about the economic benefits of delaying retirement.

The players

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services who has advocated for Americans to delay retirement by one year to boost the economy.

Teresa Ghilarducci

An economics professor at the New School who has studied proposals to encourage longer work lives and argues that adding less productive older workers may not improve GDP.

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What they’re saying

“If we could get the average American—because they feel healthy, they're vital, they're strong [and] have agency over their future—to start working a year earlier out of high school or work a year later before they retire ... it would generate $3 trillion to the U.S. economy.”

— Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Investopedia)

“If you're adding workers whose productivity is falling [because they're older] and not fully employing younger people, you're not gaining productivity. We would have a higher GDP if seven-year-olds worked, but we've decided our economy's wealth is not just dependent upon our output, but our quality of life.”

— Teresa Ghilarducci, Economics Professor, The New School (Investopedia)

The takeaway

Oz's proposal to delay retirement highlights the tension between economic output and quality of life, as well as the practical challenges many Americans face in working longer due to health or employment issues. Policymakers will need to carefully weigh these factors as they consider ways to address the solvency of programs like Medicare and Social Security.