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Vermont (25.6%), Iowa (23.9%) and Maryland (23.4%) have the highest share of 65-and-up adults in the workforce, according to preliminary 2023 census data.
Why it matters: The 2024 presidential campaign between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is sparking a fresh conversation about age, ability and mental acuity.
The big picture: It's not uncommon these days for older Americans to stay in the workforce, particularly in states with older populations.
- Nationally, 18.7% of adults 65 or over are still working.
- Today's older workers are better educated, working more hours, and more likely to be receiving employer benefits, compared to past decades, per a 2023 Pew Research Center report.
Between the lines: Fewer older Americans are working now compared to during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Axios' Emily Peck reports.
Yes, but: The share of older adults in the workforce has been generally rising since the late '80s, Emily writes.
- That's in part because of changes to Social Security and retirement plans, and in part because medical advances are extending Americans' lives and their time in the workforce.
