olDer Women anD Work The majority of older people in the United States, defined here as people 55 years old and older, are women (54 percent), and women outnumber men in this age group by 6.7 million. During the last three decades, the labor force participation of older women has grown rapidly and is projected to continue growing for the next 20 years. This fact sheet summarizes the data and research on older women that address the following questions: How does the educational attainment of older and younger women compare? In what occupations do older women work? What, if any, barriers to work do they face? What work supports do they need? Demographic changes The average age of the U.S. population has been gradually While the labor force participation rate of men ages 55 increasing due to the aging of baby boomers, falling birth and older will continue to exceed that of women during the rates, and improved health and longevity.1 This trend is current decade, most of the increases in the labor force expected to continue until 2050. Between 2011 and 2050, participation of the population ages 55 and older will come the number of women who are 55 years of age and older from women.5 Among 55- to 64-year-olds, women’s rate is projected to grow by more than 26 million, with women of labor force participation increased from 41.3 percent in continuing to outnumber men.2 The gender imbalance 1980 to 59.4 percent in 2012, and is expected to reach 66.6 grows more markedly as the population ages,3 making percent by 2020. The labor force participation of males retirement security a growing concern for women. between 55- to 64- years of age decreased from 72.1 percent in 1980 to 69.9 percent in 2012, and is expected During the coming decades, the racial/ethnic composition to rise to 71.1 percent in 2020.6 Increases in labor force of the older population is expected to change significantly. participation are expected to be even steeper for those The size of each population group in absolute terms is ages 65 years and older. For women, the rate was 8.1 expected to increase, but because growth is expected at percent in 1980, 14.4 percent in 2012, and is expected to different rates, the percentage of women of color in the be 19.2 percent in 2020; for men, the rate was 19.0 percent older female population will increase substantially. The in 1980, 23.6 percent in 2012, and is expected to be 26.7 number of Hispanic women who are 55 years old and older percent in 2020.7 is expected to almost quadruple between 2011 and 2050. During this same timeframe, the number of Asian women is olDer Women anD Work projected to triple, the number of Black women to double, how does the educational attainment of and the number of White women is projected to increase by older and younger women compare? in a fifth (Figure 1).4 what occupations do older women work? What, if any, barriers to work do they face? What work supports do they need? Fact sheet Hispanic 2011 2050 Hispanic 3,493,228 13,219,466 Black 4,358,975 19% 8% 10% Asian 4% 1,738,600 2% Other 13% Black White 58% 76% 671,004 White 8,925,558 32,921,698 40,070,039 8% 2% Asian 5,331,773 Other 1,812,252 Figure 1. Racial/ Ethnic Composition of the Female Population Projected for 2050. Ages 55 years and older, 2011 and 2050. Notes: All races are defined as exclusive: White alone, not American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Hispanic; Black alone, not Hispanic; and Asian alone, not other Pacific Islanders, and persons of two or more races. Hispanic. Women of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community “Other” includes all categories not otherwise shown, such as Survey and 2012 National Population Projections.8 olDer Women’s eDucational attainment Women ages 55 to 64 are as likely as women ages 65 years and older bracket had not finished high school, 25 to 54 to have advanced college degrees, associate and four of 10 (40 percent) had a high school diploma as degrees, or, at the other end of the spectrum, not to have their highest educational attainment.10 Low educational finished high school. They are less likely than women attainment is likely to limit the earning opportunities of in the younger age group to have a four-year college some women in this age group. Given women’s rising degree (Figure 2).9 Differences in educational attainment, educational attainment, this is likely to be less of an however, are quite different for women ages 65 years and issue in future years, although, as shown in Figure 2, older, both compared to younger women and to men 25 a substantial percentage of younger women also lack years and older. In 2011, one in five women falling into the educational qualifications beyond high school.11 Figure 2. The Distribution of Women 25-54 10 26 18 12 23 11 the Population by Highest Educational Attainment, Men 25-54 12 32 17 9 21 10 Less than High school Gender and Age (in Percent), 2011. High School Women 55-64 10 32 18 11 17 12 Source: U.S. Census Some College Bureau, Current Population Men 55-64 Associate Degree11 29 18 9 20 14 Survey, Annual Social and Bachelor's Degree Economic Supplement.12 Women 65 and older 20 40 15 6 11 8 More than Bachelor's Men 65 and older 19 32 15 6 15 14 Page 2 Fact sheet olDer Women’s employment In 2011, a third (32 percent) of women ages 55 and older care aides. The list of most common occupations of older worked in 10 occupations (Table 1).13 These occupations women differs little from that for all women.14 However, include higher-paying jobs requiring a college degree, with the exception of retail salesperson, none of the top 10 such as registered nurses and teachers. They also include most common occupations of older women are also among mid-level jobs, such as secretaries, bookkeeping, and the top 10 most common occupations of older men (data accounting clerks. Lower-paying occupations, such not shown).15 Research suggests that older workers are as as nursing, psychiatric and home health aides, retail likely as younger workers to work in occupations projected salespersons, cashiers, maids and cleaners, and personal to grow.16 Table 1. The Ten Most Common Occupations for Women Ages 55 and Older, 2011. occupation number of Women percent of all Women percent of Women Workers ages 55+ Workers ages 55+ Workers ages 55+ Working Full-time* 1 Secretaries and administrative assistants 984,830 7% 75% 2 Registered nurses 605,922 4% 71% 3 Elementary and Middle-School teachers 574,653 4% 79% 4 Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides 377,455 3% 64% 5 Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks 369,829 3% 66% 6 Retail salespersons 357,831 3% 47% 7 Cashiers 299,493 2% 42% 8 Maids and house-keeping cleaners 291,994 2% 52% 9 Personal-care aides 251,893 2% 50% 10 Office clerks, general 251,577 2% 68% Note: *Full-time: working at least 35 hours per week. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey.17 In 2012, seventy-one percent of working women ages and 23 percent respectively).18 Part-time employment is 55 years and older worked full-time. Yet women in this highest in the least skilled occupations (Table 1). Part-time age group were more likely to work part-time than all jobs are much less likely than full-time jobs to offer benefits, women (29 percent compared to 26 percent). Part-time such as paid sick leave, retirement plans, or health employment was highest among older White women (30 insurance.19 percent) and lowest for older Black and Asian women (22 Page 3 Fact sheet olDer Women anD health Forty-seven percent of older workers retire earlier than Due to the large numbers of women working in planned. Fifty-five percent of those who retire early do so administrative and clerical occupations, they are less due to a health problem or disability.20 By age 55, 15 to 25 exposed to physically hazardous working conditions than percent of workers report reduced ability to work (data not are most men. However, several occupations that are published separately for women and men).21 Although age mostly held by women can involve physically strenuous is not a good predictor of the health and well-being of any work, including heavy lifting, prolonged standing, and one individual, most older people tend to experience higher working in cramped spaces. Such physically demanding rates of chronic illnesses and disability than do younger occupations include nursing and psychiatric care aides, people. In 2007, 19 percent of Americans ages 55 to 64 cleaners, cashiers, retail salespersons, and personal care were in poor health, as were 22 percent of those ages 65 to aides.23 Physically strenuous work is also a good predictor 74.22 of poor health among workers. unemployment The rate of unemployment doubled for older women greater difficulty than do younger people in finding new between 2007, the year in which the Great Recession employment. When older individuals find new employment, began, and 2011, from 3 to 6.1 percent for women ages it often pays lower wages and has less desirable working 55 to 64, and from 3.1 to 6.5 percent for women ages 65 conditions than provided in their previous position.25 The years and older. While unemployment fell slightly in 2012, number of older persons who are unemployed for more it continued to be substantially higher than before the than six months is substantially higher than those who are Great Recession (Table 2).24 younger and unemployed for more than six months. The average unemployment duration is substantially longer for Older individuals tend to be less likely than younger older job seekers, as compared to younger job seekers individuals to be unemployed; however, once an older (53.8 weeks in 2012 for women ages 55 years and older person becomes unemployed, they usually have compared to 41.4 weeks for women ages 25 to 54 years26). Table 2. The Rate of Unemployment by Age and Gender, 2007 to 2012 (in Percent). Women 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20-24 7.3 8.8 12.3 13 13.4 12.1 25-54 3.8 4.6 7.2 7.8 7.6 7.1 55-64 3 3.7 6 6.2 6.1 5.6 65 and older 3.1 3.9 6.1 6.2 6.5 6.3 all Women 4.5 5.4 8.1 8.6 8.5 7.9 men 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20-24 8.9 11.4 17 17.8 15.7 14.3 25-54 3.7 5 9.2 9.3 8.2 6.9 55-64 3.2 3.8 7.2 8 7.1 6.3 65 and older 3.4 4.5 6.7 7.1 6.5 6.2 all men 4.7 6.1 10.3 10.5 9.4 8.2 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey.27 Page 4 Fact sheet retirement security Many older Americans are reliant on Social Security earnings in retirement (retirees in the bottom fifth of the 50 income distribution rely on Social Security for 84.3 percent of their income).28 Without Social Security income, 15.3 40 million people age 65 and over would have fallen below the poverty line in 2012, close to quadrupling the number of 2007 elderly in poverty.29 However, women are more likely than 30 2010 men to leave and re-enter the workforce, leaving them with significantly less Social Security income since periods of 20 non-work are not credited to individuals’ Social Security accounts. Moreover, because of the wage gap (based 10 on analysis of median annual earnings, women working full-time, year-round earn approximately 77 cents for every 0 dollar earned by men30), women have less money to save Women Men for retirement throughout their lifetimes.31 Figure 3. Decline in Those Saying They Are Saving Enough for The recent Great Recession has diminished the retirement Retirement, 2007-2010 (People Not Yet Retired, in Percent). savings of many Americans, leading some workers to delay Note: Bars show percent responding that they believe they are saving enough for retirement. retirement and others to return to the labor market from retirement or from economic inactivity.33 Women are more Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research/Rockefeller Survey likely than men to report not having sufficient savings for of Economic Security.32 retirement (Figure 3).34 Page 5 Fact sheet supports For olDer Women anD Work Access to targeted training, ergonomically designed jobs, work and receive partial retirement benefits; this is not the workplace flexibility, and the tackling of age discrimination norm, however, and the rules of many pension plans and are likely to enhance older women’s access to high-quality Social Security regulations effectively penalize or prevent jobs with self-sufficiency wages and benefits, and their workers from following such gradual retirement options. For capacity to make provisions for an economically secure their own health and well-being and because of unpaid care retirement when they leave the labor force. responsibilities for elderly parents or a spouse in need of help, older women are also likely to benefit from workplace Access to targeted training programs for older women flexibility. The AARP Best Employers for Workers over 50 who lose their jobs or are returning to the labor force is and Sloan When Work Works Awards show the potential key.35 Research by organizations such as the Council for for win-win workplace flexibility, yet in many workplaces Adult Education and Learning highlights good practices in access to meaningful flexibility remains elusive. training programs which recognize age-related differences in learning styles and build up the confidence of women Last but not least, older women need a workplace free who may have been out of the labor force and formal of age discrimination. The U.S. Equal Employment education for a number of years. Opportunity Commission is responsible for enforcing the Age Discrimination in Employment Act [ADEA]. The ADEA makes Ergonomic interventions and redesign of work processes it illegal to discriminate against anyone who is 40 years old can improve the health of all workers, as well as make work and older. Claims of age discrimination have risen rapidly in more feasible for older adults. Many older women and men recent years.36 Pro-active enforcement of anti-discrimination prefer gradual (phased) retirement. Some pension plans laws and education of employers will help older women to allow employees to scale back from full-time to part-time stay employed and enhance their economic security. Page 6 Endnotes enDnotes 1 U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 National Population 10 Ibid. Projections. http://www.census.gov/population/ 11 Ibid. projections/data/national/2012.html 12 Ibid. 2 Ibid. 13 Institute for Women’s Policy Research analysis based 3 Ibid. on 2011 American Community Survey data provided by 4 Ibid. Ruggles, Steven J., Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, 5 Mitra Toossi, “Labor Force Projections to 2020: A More Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew Slowly Growing Workforce.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Sobek. 2010. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, January 2012: pp. Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: 43-64 http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2012/01/art3full.pdf University of Minnesota (accessed September 3, 2013). 14 Ibid. 6 Data for 1980 from Howard N. Fullerton, Jr. and Mitra 15 Ibid. Toossi. “Labor Force Projections to 2010: Steady Growth 16 Geri Adler and Don Hilber. 2008. “Will the Types of Jobs and Changing Composition.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Being Created Enable Older Workers to Keep Working?” Statistics (BLS), Monthly Labor Review, November Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health (23:1/2) 71-87. 2001, pp. 21-38, http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2001/11/ 17 art2full.pdf; 2012 data from BLS, Current Population Ibid. Survey, 2013. Table 3, Employment status of the civilian 18 IWPR calculations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race; Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2013. Table 8, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat03.htm; 2020 data from Employed and unemployed full- and part-time workers Mitra Toossi, “Labor Force Projections to 2020: A More by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2012. Slowly Growing Workforce.” BLS, Monthly Labor Review http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat08.htm (accessed October January 2012: pp. 43-64. http://www.bls.gov/opub/ 28, 2013) mlr/2012/01/art3full.pdf (all accessed September 3, 19 Society for Human Resource Management 2011. 2013). Employee Benefits: A Research Report by the Society 7 Ibid. for Human Resource Management http://www.shrm.org/ 8 Institute for Women’s Policy Research analysis based Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Documents/2011_ on 2011 American Community Survey data provided by Emp_Benefits_Report.pdf (accessed December 17, Ruggles, Steven J., Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, 2011). Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew 20 Employee Benefit Research Institute (2013). 2013 Sobek. 2010. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Retirement Confidence Survey. “2013 RCS Fact Sheet Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: #2, Changing Expectations about Retirement” http:// University of Minnesota; and on 2050 projections as www.ebri.org/files/Final-FS.RCS-13.FS_2.Expects. provided by U.S. Census Bureau. 2012. “NP2012_D1: FINAL.pdf (accessed September 30, 2013) Projected Population by Single Year of Age, Sex, Race, 21 Ilmarinen, J.Tuomi K, Klockars M. Changes in the work and Hispanic Origin for the United States: 2012 to ability of active employees over an 11-year period. 2060” 2012 National Population Projections http://www. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2012/ 1997;23 (suppl 1):49–57. downloadablefiles.html (accessed September 2, 2013). 22 Richard W. Johnson. 2010. Older Workers: Opportunities 9 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual and Challenges Fact sheet; Washington DC: Urban Social and Economic Supplement, 2012. “Educational Institute http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412166- Attainment in the United States: Table 1. Educational older-workers.pdf (accessed August 28, 2013). Attainment of the Population 18 Years and Over, by 23 Rho, Hye Jin. 2010. Hard Work? Patterns in Physically Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 2011.” http://www. Demanding Labor Among Older Workers. Washington, census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/data/cps/2011/ DC: Center for Economic Policy Research. http://www. tables.html (accessed October 10, 2012). cepr.net/documents/publications/older-workers-2010-08. pdf (accessed October 16, 2012). Page 7 Endnotes 24 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population 30 Ibid., page 11. Survey, 2013. Table 31, Unemployed persons by age, 31 Jocelyn Fischer and Jeff Hayes. 2013. “The Importance sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, marital status, of Social Security in the Incomes of Older Americans: and duration of unemployment. http://www.bls.gov/cps/ Differences by Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity, and Marital cpsaat31.htm (accessed August. 27, 2013). Status.” IWPR Briefing Paper; Washington, DC: Institute 25 U.S. Government Accountability Office. 2012. for Women’s Policy Research. Unemployed Older Workers: Many Experience 32 Cynthia Hess, Jeff Hayes, and Heidi Hartmann. 2011. Challenges Regaining Employment and Face Reduced Retirement on the Edge. Women, Men, and Economic Retirement Security. GAO Report to the Chairman, Insecurity After the Great Recession. Washington, DC: Committee on Aging, U.S. Senate. http://www.gao.gov/ Institute for Women’s Policy Research. assets/600/590408.pdf (accessed December 3, 2012). 33 AARP Public Policy Institute. 2012. Boomers and the 26 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Great Recession: Struggling to Recover. http://www.aarp. Survey. Unpublished table 31, Unemployed persons by org/work/job-hunting/info-09-2012/boomers-and-the- duration of unemployment, age, sex, race, and Hispanic great-recession-struggling-to-recover-AARP-ppi-econ- or Latino ethnicity, annual averages 2012. Available sec.html (accessed March 7, 2013). on request from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, contact 34 information at http://www.bls.gov/cps/contact.htm. Cynthia Hess, Jeff Hayes, and Heidi Hartmann. 2011. Retirement on the Edge. Women, Men, and Economic 27 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Insecurity After the Great Recession. Washington, DC: Survey. Table 3, Employment status of the civilian Institute for Women’s Policy Research. noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, various 35 years; http://www.bls.gov/cps/tables.htm. U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. 2010. Unique Training Requirements 28 Social Security Administration, Office of Retirement and of Low-Income, Older Workers: A Resource Guide for Disability Policy. 2012. Income of the Aged: Chartbook, SCSEP Practitioners http://www.doleta.gov/seniors/html_ 2010. http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/chartbooks/ docs/docs/unique1.cfm (accessed August 28, 2013). income_aged/2010/iac10.pdf (accessed August 28, 36 2013). U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “Charge Statistics FY 1997 through FY 2012.” http:// 29 U.S. Census Bureau (2013). Income, Poverty, and www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/charges.cfm Health Insurance in the United States: 2012, page 21. (accessed September 30, 2013). http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-245.pdf. Page 8