Stock boom is fueling a ‘retirement party,’ economists say — what it means for workers

The stock market boom seems to be fueling a wave of retirements . Workers age 55 and older are leaving the labor force at a rapid pace, government data shows, a trend that coincides with ballooning stock wealth fueled by euphoria over artificial intelligence . The retirement surge among these workers is attributable in part to a "wealth effect," economists said: Workers near traditional retirement age have seen their stock portfolios swell and feel rich enough to finally leave their 9-to-5. In a research note last month, Bank of America economists referred to the trend as a "stock-fueled retirement party." "Labor force participation is collapsing among older workers," wrote the economists, Stephen Juneau and Aditya Bhave.