Charting projected growth of seniors in workforce
The number of workers between the ages of 65 and 74 is predicted to soar by 83.4 percent between 2006 and 2016. This is according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Similarly, the number of workers aged 75 and up is predicted to grow by 84.3 percent.
Looking at other age groups, the number of workers in the youngest group, age 16 to 24, is projected to decline during the period while the number of workers age 25 to 54 will rise only slightly. The number of workers age 55 to 64 is expected to climb by 36.5 percent. The total labor force is projected to increase by 8.5 percent during the period 2006-2016.
By 2016, workers age 65 and over are expected to account for 6.1 percent of the total labor force, up sharply from their 2006 share of 3.6 percent.
This data is from the Employment Projections program. To learn more, see "Older Workers," BLS Spotlight on Statistics, July 2008.