The U.S. Essential Workforce Ages 50 and Older: A Snapshot

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The U.S. Essential Workforce Ages 50 and Older: A Snapshot"


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by


Jennifer Schramm

 &


Carlos Alberto Figueiredo

  AARP Public Policy Institute AARP Public Policy Institute Published September 30, 2020


Workers Ages 50+ Are an Important Part of the Essential Workforce


Well over a third (37.3 percent) of the U.S. essential workforce are ages 50 and older, amounting to 16.1 million workers; almost 15 percent of the workforce, 6.4 million workers, are age 60


or older. 


Among all workers ages 50 and older, nearly a third (30.1 percent) are designated as essential, equivalent to younger age groups. Twenty-nine percent of all workers age 65+ and 27 percent of


workers age 75+ are designated as essential.


The Demographics of the 50+ Essential Workforce


Around 27 percent of all male workers have been designated as essential, compared to about 34 percent of all female workers; there are over 2 million more women than men in the essential


workforce. Among workers ages 50 and older, there are over 750,000 more women in the essential workforce than men.


Black/African American workers are the group most likely to be designated as essential. In the 50+ age group, White male workers are the least likely to be designated as essential and


Black/African American female workers (42.3 percent) are most likely.


Industry and Occupation Membership


Workers ages 50 and older are an important demographic within almost all the essential worker industries and occupations. In the health care sector, for example, 37 percent of workers are


ages 50 and older and 15 percent are 60 and older. Workers 50+ also make up one third or more of the workers in transit, critical retail, postal, social services, and agriculture.


Regional Distribution


The share of the essential workforce 50 and older varies across the country. It ranges from 35 percent in the West to 40 percent in the Northeast, suggesting some regions rely more heavily


on older workers within their essential workforce.


Low Wage Workers


Twenty nine percent of low-wage workers have been designated essential, and they are most likely to be Black/African American workers. Among low wage workers age 50 and up: 28 percent are


White; 28 percent are Hispanic; 30 percent are Asian; 30 percent are American Indian, Alaskan Native, Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander; 37 percent are Black/African American. Despite their


central importance to the health and well-being of the nation, many of the low-wage essential jobs lack sufficient benefits and protections.


Suggested citation


Schramm, Jennifer. Carlos Figueiredo. The U.S. Essential Workforce Ages 50 and Older: A Snapshot. Washington, DC: AARP Public Policy Institute. October 2020. 


https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00111.001


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