Friday, February 08, 2013

Trends in Men's Labor Force Participation

A shrinking share of American men are working or looking for work, a trend that has been ongoing for more than half a century. In 1950, fully 86.4 percent of men aged 16 or older were in the labor force (which includes the employed and the unemployed). By 2012, only 70.2 percent were working or looking for work--4.6 percentage points lower than in 2000.

In contrast to this downward trend, the labor force participation rate of men aged 65 or older is rising. According to the latest annual statistics, 23.6 percent of men aged 65 or older were in the labor force in 2012, up from 17.7 percent in 2000 and the largest percentage since 1972.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

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