Updated
Updated · HR Dive · May 29
Workers Over 55 Reach 23.2% of Workforce as 65-Plus Share Jumps More Than 40%
Updated
Updated · HR Dive · May 29

Workers Over 55 Reach 23.2% of Workforce as 65-Plus Share Jumps More Than 40%

1 articles · Updated · HR Dive · May 29

Summary

  • Workers 55 and older now account for 23.2% of the workforce, according to MyPerfectResume, with their ranks growing faster than the workforce overall.
  • More than 40% growth in the 65-and-older share points to employees staying on the job longer, extending a trend researchers have tracked across the labor market.
  • A separate April 2026 NBER study found the age of newly appointed CEOs rose by 10 years from 2000 to 2023, linking business uncertainty to older leadership choices.
  • That aging cohort is reshaping workplaces already dominated numerically by younger staff: Gen Z surpassed baby boomers in late 2023, and Gen Z plus millennials now make up more than half of workers.
  • The mix is sharpening focus on multigenerational management, even as age-discrimination concerns keep older workers' needs high on employers' agendas.

Insights

Why do companies still practice ageism when older workers offer proven value and huge spending power?
With AI replacing entry-level jobs and older workers staying longer, what does a viable career path for the young actually look like?
As the workforce shrinks, how can businesses leverage AI to amplify the value of their experienced, aging employees before they retire?