From a divorce to the illness of a child, fewer people are making it to age 40 without a crisis affecting their plans to save for retirement.

According to an AARP Financial Inc. and Boston Research Group survey of 1,200 adults between ages 40 and 70, 57% had experienced a major life crisis. Among them, a job loss (18%), divorce (29%), death of a spouse or life partner (10%), a serious illness or long-term disability (24%), or the illness or disability of a child (7%). The findings showed that roughly 43% were able to make to their middle age years without being affected by a life crisis.

The number of retirement-age Americans seeking employment is also on the rise. According to the survey, 433,000 of them were looking for jobs in February, twice as many as those in November 2007.