Labor force participation increased by education level for baby boomers born from 1957 to 1964

People born from 1957 to 1964, the latter years of the baby boom, were employed 78 percent of all the weeks from ages 18 to 56. They were unemployed for 4 percent of those weeks and not in the labor force (neither working nor seeking work) for 18 percent of those weeks.

The amount of time spent out of the labor force differed by sex. Overall, men spent 12 percent of weeks out of the labor force, compared with 24 percent of weeks for women.

Both women's and men's labor force participation increased with their education level, though women at every educational level spent fewer weeks in the labor force than men. Women without a high school diploma spent nearly half (49 percent) of all weeks between ages 18 to 56 out of the labor force compared to 24 percent of weeks for men at this education level. Among those with a bachelor’s degree and higher, women were out of the labor force 17 percent of weeks and men spent 9 percent of weeks out of the labor force.

The labor force participation rate patterns of men and women were similar across age groups. For both men and women, time spent out of the labor force was greatest between the ages of 18 and 24, reflecting the transition from education and training to the work force.

For women, time spent out of the labor force decreased from 30 percent of weeks between the ages of 18 and 24; to 25 percent of weeks between the ages of 25 and 34; to 21 percent of weeks between the ages of 35 and 44; and then increased to 24 percent of weeks between the ages of 45 and 56. Men were out of the labor force 18 percent of weeks between the ages of 18 to 24, and then fewer than 8 percent of weeks from ages 25 to 44. From ages 45 to 56, men spent 13 percent of weeks out of the labor force.

These data are from the National Longitudinal Surveys. To learn more, see “Number of Jobs, Labor Market Experience, Marital Status, and Health for those Born 1957-1964.” The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were born in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979. These individuals were ages 55 to 64 in 2020-21.