Subject and purpose of work: The aim of the study is to determine the scale of the phenomenon of pensioners remaining on the labour market and their potential readiness to return, as well as the determinants of this phenomenon in the peripheral areas of the macro-region of Eastern Poland. Materials and methods: The results of a survey conducted in 2021 among pensioners from Podlaskie, Lubelskie and Podkarpackie Voivodeships were used. Results: Simultaneous receipt of a pension and continued employment occurred in the case of 36.9% of the surveyed sample, 10% of the respondents were not working but declared their readiness to return to the labour market. The reasons for remaining unemployed mainly included: lack of suitable job offers, health problems and unwillingness to work. Conclusions: The specificity of the problems of unemployed pensioners in the macro-region of Eastern Poland suggests the need for regional activation measures in social policy, taking into account the existing potential of elderly people.