A hiring sign displayed in a business window in New York City on Sept. 5, 2025. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Immigration has dominated the conversation around today’s labor market, but another force reshaping employment conditions is the steady exit of older Americans from the workforce.
The share of Americans aged 55 and older who are working sits slightly above 37 percent, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the lowest level since April 2005 and has been steadily declining since the COVID-19 pandemic.
