Working longer and population aging in the U.S.: Why delayed retirement isn’t a practical solution for many

•Delayed retirement has become the central policy response to population aging.•Working into one’s late 60s is difficult or impossible for many.•About half of older Americans were not steadily employed throughout their 50s.•Inequalities by race, class, and gender are exacerbated by working-longer policies.•Working longer in America calls for improved work and retirement policies.