More than a fifth of retirees due to give up work this year have said they are not ready to do so entirely – continuing a growing trend stretching back to 2011.
Over half of those due to retire in 2015 would consider working past State Pension age, Prudential's latest annual study showed.
This is the sixth year in a row that the majority of retirees have said that they would actively consider working on to improve their finances in later life.
Researchers said their findings illustrated that the phased or delayed retirements that became necessary for many during the financial crisis are now becoming accepted as the norm.
Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of people who are scheduled to retire this year have already chosen to delay their plans.
Reducing the hours they work with their current employer is the preferred option for 31 per cent of this year's retirees who would consider continuing to work.
Nearly one in eight (12 per cent) would like to look for a part-time job with a new employer while 11 per cent say they're happy to carry on full-time in their current job.

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The most popular reason for considering staying in work, cited by 57 per cent, was to keep mentally and physically fit, while 39 per cent said it was because they simply enjoyed working.
Some 35 per cent said they would miss interacting with work colleagues. A third didn't like the idea of being at home all the time and 23 per cent say they would miss having a daily routine.
Stan Russell, a retirement income expert at Prudential, said: "The old image of everyone giving up work aged 60 or 65 and becoming a pensioner is a thing of the past. People are seeing the opportunity to stay at work full-time or in a period of 'pre-tirement' as an attractive one – whether it's to boost their pension pots or just to stay fit, healthy and stimulated."