Aging & Work Facts Database

This database provides you with easy-to-access facts and statistics related to aging & work. Here you will find:

• A sentence with a fact/statistic.
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SEARCH BY TOPIC: Age Bias and Employment Discrimination Business Strategies & Workforce Development Caregiving: Elder Caregiving: Employer-sponsored benefits for Caregiving: Other (grandchildren, spouse, dependents) Demographics: Age Distribution, Life Expectancy Education and Training Educational Attainment Employee Engagement & Job Satisfaction Employer-sponsored benefits (see also Caregiving) Employment Preferences Flexible Work Options (general) Flexible Work Options: Bridge Jobs Flexible Work Options: Consulting, Contract Work, Self-employment Flexible Work Options: Flexible Schedule Flexible Work Options: Leaves of Absence Flexible Work Options: Part-time Employment Flexible Work Options: Phased Retirement Flexible Work Options: Remote Work, Telecommuting, Telework Flexible Work Options: Work Redesign Gender "Over half - 53 percent - of primary caregivers are adult daughters, compared to 43 percent of non-caregivers." (p.3)...  more In 2004, 51% of full time male workers and 51.9% of full time female workers had pension coverage. (p.3, Fig.3)...  more "Men age 50 or older (45 percent) are more likely than women (35 percent) to indicate that they have a defined-benefits pension plan (or guaranteed-benefits pension plan) thro...  more According to analysis of the National Study of the Changing Workforce, the majority of both male (65%)and female (62%) employees 50 or more years old would prefer to work fewe...  more Surveys of older workers consistently find that they indicate a strong preference for being able to use a range of different “flexible work options.”  According to an...  more According to analysis of the National Study of the Changing Workforce, both men and women 50 years and older report similar levels* of job pressure.  17% of men and 19% o...  more According to analysis of the National Study of the Changing Workforce, among employees 50 years or older, men were more likely to be very satisfied (46%) with family life than...  more Using the Health and Retirement Study Data, James and Spiro (2007) found that, among men ages 63 to 73, the disabled had average depression levels (abbreviated CES-D) of 2.4,...  more "According to analysis of the Health and Retirement Study, which surveyed Americans aged 51-61 in 1992, 90 percent of the men and 75 percent of the women worked for pay since...  more Using Health and Retirement (HRS) data from 1992 to 2004, "Men [58%] and women [62%] who rated their health as excellent or very good were more likely than those who rated the...  more Focusing on the War Baby cohort (Giandrea, Cahill, and Quinn (2007) found that 37 percent of women with medium-low wage rates ($6-$per hour in in were working bridge jobs in 2...  more In 2005, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the percentages of individuals filing discrimination charges based on race, sex, and disability were 35...  more A study by Chesley and Moen (2006) found that "more women (13.4%)  than men (9.6%) [of middle-class, dual-earner couples] provide care consistently…, whereas more men (...  more According to the "A Work-Filled Retirement" survey, "men are more likely than women to believe they will rely on personal savings (25% vs 20%) or on employer-sponsored pension...  more According to the "Attitudes of individuals 50 and older toward phased retirement" survey conducted by the AARP, more men respondents (21%) had heard of phased retirement than...  more "In the 2001 Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS), when asked if they had saved for retirement, 69% of working women said yes, compared with 74 percent of working men." (Chart 5...  more "The majority of working women (70 percent in 2000) are concentrated in two industries: services, 49.0 percent, and wholesale/retail trade, 20.9 percent. By comparison, men ar...  more "For full-time wage and salary workers approaching retirement age who had pension coverage, median pension wealth on the current job was 76% greater for men than women." (p.32...  more "In 1950, 59.9 percentage points separated the labor force participation rates of men and women [aged 55 to 64] (86.9 percent and 27.0 percent, respectively). That gap narrowe...  more In 2005, 49.0% of the population was male and 51.0% of the population was female. In 2005, 49.0% of individuals aged 45-54 were male and 51.0% were female. In 2005, 47.6% of i...  more The National Study of Employers, found that “although small employers are equally likely (or “unlikely” if you will) to offer any replacement pay to men during paternity...  more Among 16,000 workers participating in a survey at a large company, caregivers reported an average of 7.7 hours absent from work during the 2-week study period. Among older w...  more According to the 2001-02 American Productivity Audit, lost productive time due to headache was highest in males and females in younger age groups; for example approximately 6....  more According to the 2001-02 American Productivity Audit, lost productive time due to back pain is higher in younger men; almost 3% of men in the 18-39 age range report 2 or more...  more In a 2008 study on women's poverty status, "the poverty rate for African-American women in 1967, when they were in midlife (aged 30-44), was more than four times greater t...  more In a 2008 report on the poverty status of mature women, in 2001 when most of the women were in retirement ages (ages 64-78), "among whites, unmarried women were nearly three t...  more In a 2008 report on the poverty status of mature women, "a larger proportion of African-American than white women (41 percent vs. 31 percent) were employed in both years spann...  more In a 2008 study on women's poverty status, 53% of African-American women reported good health during the years from midlife (ages 30-44 in 1967) until they reached retirem...  more Analysis of data from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce shows that "among older workers, the odds of being very satisfied with life are 63.6% higher for female...  more According to a 2008 analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics and Current Population Survey data, in 2007, the labor force participation rate for men aged 55-59 was 77.8%, compar...  more According to a 2006 report on sources of income for older persons, "older men were twice as likely (42.6 percent) as older women (21.7 percent) to have income from pensions an...  more According to a 2008 BLS report, "between 1977 and 2007, employment of workers 65 and over increased 101 percent, compared to a much smaller increase of 59 percent for total em...  more According to a 2008 BLS report, "in 1977, about one-third of employed women 65 and older were married, but by 2007, married women accounted for nearly one-half of these worker...  more According to a 2008 BLS report, "earnings of workers 65 and older have long been below those of all workers. In 1979, median weekly earnings for full-time workers age 65 and o...  more In a 2008 report on the poverty status of mature women, in 2001 when most of the women were in retirement ages (ages 64-78), nearly one-third of them were either in poverty (1...  more In a 2008 report on the poverty status of mature women, in 2001 when most of the women were in retirement ages (ages 64-78), the poverty rate was three times higher for Africa...  more Based on analysis of 2003-05 CPS data, the results "showed that the predominance of working poverty as a form of underemployment was especially pronounced among nonmetropolita...  more According to an analysis of U.S. Census data by the Congressional Research Service, "In 2006, 91% of men and 76% of women aged 25 to 54 participated in the labor force. In con...  more According to analysis of U.S. Census data by the Congressional Research Service, "in March 2007, 49% of men aged 62 to 64 were employed. Of men aged 65 to 69, 33%, were emplo...  more According to analysis of 2003 CPS data "self-employment is more common among men than women" (p. 16) in all age groups. Among "unincorporated* self-employed" workers aged 65...  more According to a 2007 study of employee benefits trends, "Women are more concerned about outliving their retirement money -- 62% versus 45% for males." Similarly, 57% of women r...  more According to a 2007 study of employee benefits trend, "being able to afford health care in retirement, the top concern for all employees, is far more important to females (73%...  more According to an AARP survey, "35% of workers 60 years of age or older reported working part-time, while significantly fewer younger workers reported similar arrangements (18%...  more According to a 2007 AARP survey, "35% of workers 60 years of age or older reported working part-time, while significantly fewer younger workers reported similar arrangements (...  more According to 2006 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the labor force participation rate for men aged 25-54 was 90.6%. For men aged 55-64, the rate was 69.6%.  For...  more According to a 2008 analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey data, the labor force participation rates for both women and men ages 55 and older have in...  more Based on analysis of 2003-05 CPS data, there is a "higher prevalence of underemployment* among older-aged workers in non-metropolitan areas" compared to those in metropolitan...  more A 2007 analysis of Census Bureau Data shows that "female labor-force participation rates for those ages 55-59 and 60-64 increased sharply from 1975-2006. The 1975 rate for fem...  more "Overall, respondents expect to live to a median age of '81-85.' This estimate is in keeping with today's average life expectancy, which for 55-70 year olds ranges...  more In 1980, the median age for the U.S population (both men and women) was 30; in 2003, it was 35.9.In 1980, the median age for men was 28.8; in 2003, it was 34.5.In 1980, the me...  more According to Watson Wyatt, "phasing after age 65--typically considered normal retirement age--is not uncommon, with 17 percent of phasers being age 65 or older. Women--who are...  more "... the existence of a phased retirement program increases the average retirement age among women by 21 months.  For men, phasing increased average retirement age by abo...  more Among employess currently in the workforce, "85% of men and 65% of women usually work 35 or more hours a week for 50 or more weeks per year...About three-quarters also say tha...  more Among exempt (salaried) employees who indicated an interest in reducing their hours and working part-time, more wanted to work either as contractors or consultants (even if th...  more Men older workers (37 percent) were three times as likely as the women (12 percent) to indicate an interest in working as a consultant. (pp. 38-39)...  more Research suggests that in 2002, about four of every ten men and about three of every ten women between the ages of 55 and 64 who receive income from private pensions (one indi...  more The labor force participation rate of men age 50 and older decreased by 7.0%, from 55.2% in 1980 to 51.62% in 2000. The labor force participation rate of women age 50 and old...  more In 2000, 17.5% of men and 9.4% of women age 65 and older participated in the labor force....  more In 1999, 65.4% of female workers between age 50 and 64 worked full-time all year; they earned a median income of $27,040. In 1999, 29.2% of female workers age 65 and older w...  more In 1999, female full-time, year-round workers between age 50 and 64 earned 63% of the income earned by male full-time, year-round workers in the same age group. In 1999, fem...  more According to the 2001 Current Population Survey conducted by Census Bureau, the use of flexible schedules varies by gender, with higher percentages of men reporting use than w...  more According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, “male caregivers are more likely to be working full or part-time than female caregivers (66% v 55%). (p.8)...  more "Among women and men of all ages, women ages 50 to 64 are the group most likely to be caring for sick and disabled family members.  Nearly one in five (18%) of these wome...  more In 2003, 56.5%, 31.6%, 8% and 3.9% of persons (both men and women) age 65 and above were married, widowed, divorced, and never married, respectively. In 2003, 74.4%, 14....  more In 2003, 17.8% of men and 10.2% of women age 65 and above were employed....  more In 2003, 7.7% of men and 12.4% of women age 65 and above lived in poverty....  more In 2003, 68.7% and 18.6% of men age 55 to 64 and 65 and above, respectively, participated in the labor force. By 2012, these numbers are projected to be 69.9% and 20.8%, respe...  more In 2001, 28.8% of male and 23.5% of female full-time wage and salary workers age 55 and above reported that they had flexible schedules at their primary jobs....  more In 2002, female wage and salary workers age 55 to 64 and 65 and above had worked for their employers for a median of 9.6 and 9.5 years, respectively. Approximately 23.4% age 5...  more In 1980, the unemployment rate of women age 65 and above was 3.1%. In 2003, it was 3.6%. In 1980, the unemployment rate of men age 65 and above was 3.1%. In 2003, it was 4%...  more In 2002, 55% and 24.9% of all male workers age 45 to 64 and age 65 and above had pension plan coverage. At the same time, 51.7% and 26.2% of all female workers age 45 to 64 an...  more In 2002, 38.3% of Hispanic male workers aged 45 to 64 had pension plan coverage, compared with 52.9% of Black male workers and 55.6% of White male workers in the same age rang...  more In 1981, the average life expectancies for males and females age 50 were 25.0 and 30.7, respectively. In 2001, the average life expectancies for males and females age 50 were...  more The percentage of uninsured persons age 50 to 64 increased by 31.7% from 10.61% in 1988 to 13.98% in 2000. The percentage of uninsured males age 50 to 64 increased by 30.8%...  more The percentage of uninsured poor persons age 50 to 64 decreased by 0.6% from 71.49% in 1988 to 71.08% in 2000.The percentage of uninsured poor males age 50 to 64 increased by...  more The poverty rate for female persons age 50 and older decreased by 24.3% from 13.9% in 1980 to 10.5% in 2000. The poverty rate for male persons age 50 and older decreased by...  more “Women (30 percent) are somewhat more likely than men (25 percent) to work at local worksites with fewer than 25 employees and less likely (26 percent) than men (34 percent)...  more “…women, 50 or more years old, are as likely as older male employees to hold managerial or professional positions (36 percent of men and 37 percent of women).” (p.5)...  more “NSCW found that men report that they have been in the labor force for more years (mean for men = 37.7 years; mean for women = 32.3 years). Furthermore, men have longer tenu...  more “Men age 50 or older (45 percent) are more likely than women (35 percent) to indicate that they have a defined-benefits pension plan (or guaranteed-benefits pension plan) th...  more “Among older employees, men are more likely (33 percent) than women (28 percent) to report having high job autonomy. Older women are more likely than men to report that they...  more “Despite the relative privileges at the workplace reported by older male employees, 37 percent of older women state that they have “high” commitment to their employers i...  more "Only 80 percent of the women compared with 91 percent of the men have access to health insurance through their employer. However,...the difference in the percentages of older...  more “Older women earn 55 cents for every dollar that men earn from all hours worked at all jobs. Comparing the hourly rates of pay at main jobs (with salaries converted to hourl...  more “About one of every eight male employees 50 or more years old (13 percent) exhibit self-reported symptoms of poor mental health compared to one of every five women (20 perce...  more “While 79 percent of married/partnered women, 50 years and older, live in dual-earner households (where their spouse/partner is employed for pay), only 66 percent of the men...  more “…wage and salaried employees, 50 or more years old, are more likely to be women (54 percent) than men (46 percent), while self-employed independents and small business ow...  more “Older female employees tend to live in households with lower family incomes than their male counterparts. In 2002, the average (mean) annual income of older men is $80,839...  more “Older men (80 percent) are more likely than older women (62 percent) to be married or living with a partner, providing them with a potential source of social support.” (F...  more The labor force participation rate among single women age 65 and above decreased from 19.7% in 1970 to 9.7% in 1998, but increased again to 15.2% in 2003. The labor force...  more In 1990, 14.2% of men and 48.6% of women age 65 and above were widowed. In 2003, 14.3% of men and 44.3% of women age 65 and above were widowed....  more Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the experiences of retirees who were aged 51 to 61 in 1992 and therefore who were 61 to 71 in 2002, Cahill and...  more Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the experiences of retirees who were aged 51 to 61 in 1992 and therefore who were 61 to 71 in 2002, Cahill a...  more Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the experiences of retirees who were aged 51 to 61 in 1992 and therefore who were 61 to 71 in 2002, Cahill and...  more Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the experiences of retirees who were aged 51 to 61 in 1992 and therefore who were 61 to 71 in 2002, Cahill and...  more Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the experiences of retirees who were aged 51 to 61 in 1992 and therefore who were 61 to 71 in 2002, Cahill a...  more Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the experiences of retirees who were aged 51 to 61 in 1992 and therefore who were 61 to 71 in 2002, Cahill and...  more “Among workers (50 or more years old) wage and salaried employees are much more likely to be women (54 percent) than are self-employed independents (27 percent) and small bu...  more According to analysis of the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, 38 percent of men and 28 percent of women over the age of 50 had four year college degrees or more...  more "Overall, it is worth noting that women (43%) are more likely than men (30%) to work because they need the income to live on. And single (64%) and divorced (61%) employees are...  more      back to top For a print-ready file of all statistics for this topic, click here. Health: Health Behaviors Health: Health Care Costs Health: Health Insurance Health: Health Status Health: Workplace Injuries Income Knowledge Transfer Labor Force Participation Marital Status Medicare & Medicaid Mental Health Multi-generational Workplace Older Workers, Advantages of Older Workers, Costs of Older Workers, Job Skills and Demands Older Workers, Perceptions about Peformance, Productivity, Absenteeism Pensions and Retirement Accounts Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration Reasons for working Recruitment , Retention, Tenure, Turnover Retirement Income & Expenditures Retirement Planning Retirement Statistics Retirement, Timing of Social Security Unemployment Voluntarism

DOWNLOAD A FACT SHEET: The following Fact Sheets contain selected facts and statistics from the database ( PDF format): "Mental Health" (Sep 2007) "Bridge Jobs" (Aug 2007) "Part-time Work" (Jul 2007) "The Multi-Generational Workplace" (Jul 2007) "Phased Retirement" (Jun 2007) "Age Bias And Employment Discrimination" (Feb 2007) "Employer Sponsored Pensions" (Feb 2007) "Age and the Labor Force" (Jan 2007) "Social Security and Older Workers" (Jan 2007) "Voluntarism Among Older Adults" (Jan 2007) "Older Workers’ Preferences for Work & Employ-ment" (Oct 2006) "Elder Caregiving" (Oct 2006)   SEARCH BY keyword: back to top