The U.S. workforce is aging, and workers who are 55 or older have been the fastest-growing age group in the labor force for more than two decades, according to new research by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Those aged 55 or older made up almost a quarter (24 percent) of the U.S. workforce in 2022, which was up from 10 percent in 1994. The data also revealed which industries have greater concentrations of older workers than others.

Why It Matters

There is growing concern about America’s aging population as a whole, particularly in light of the declining birth rate. The issue has been at the forefront of the Trump administration’s political agenda, and President Donald Trump has brought in new policies trying to support and encourage Americans to have more children.

According to a study published by Nature, the country lacks the infrastructure and services to meet the needs of its aging citizens, with some communities more affected than others.

What To Know

The U.S. Census Bureau data showed that in the utilities sector, the share of employment at firms with at least a quarter of their workers over age 55 went from 33 percent in 2006 to 80 percent in 2022.

A similar pattern was recorded in manufacturing and wholesale trade, industries which also had a notable increase in the share of employment at firms with at least a quarter of their workers over age 55—from 14 percent in 2000 to over 40 percent in 2022.

Other industries like health care and social assistance have also seen a rise in the number of firms where workers aged 55 make up at least 25 percent of employment, as has the finance and insurance industry and professional, scientific and technical services.

In comparison, the retail trade, accommodation and food services sectors have had relatively few firms employing a high share of older workers, with those over the age of 55 making up 14 percent of the overall employment in the retail trade and 10 percent in the accommodation and food services industry.

Certain states also had more notable aging workforces, the U.S. Census Bureau data indicated, which often aligned with the median population age of the state.

In Maine, the median age of the population in 2022 was the highest in the nation, at 44.7. The state also had the highest share of firms which had a 25 percent or higher employment of those aged 55 or over—at 39 percent of firms.

That share comparatively was 14 percent in Utah, which was the lowest share in the country, and the state also had the lowest median population age, of 32.

Other states with higher median population ages (between 39.1 and 40.9), and higher shares of firms with at least 25 percent of their workforces being 55 or older, included New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Younger states like California (2022 median population age 37.8) and Texas (35.6) also had a smaller share of firms with the same concentration of older workers.

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