Number of Jobs, Labor Market Experience, Marital Status, and Health for those Born 1957-1964

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, August 22, 2023  	                               USDL-23-1854
 
Technical information:  (202) 691-7410  *  nls_info@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/nls 
Media contact:	        (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


               NUMBER OF JOBS, LABOR MARKET EXPERIENCE, MARITAL STATUS, AND HEALTH 
                                   FOR THOSE BORN 1957-1964


Individuals born in the latter years of the baby boom (1957-64) held an average of 12.7 jobs 
from ages 18 to 56, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly half of these
jobs were held from ages 18 to 24. 
 
These findings are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, a survey of 9,964 men
and women who were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979 and ages 55 to 64 when
interviewed most recently in 2020-21. These respondents were born in the years 1957 to 1964,
the latter years of the baby boom that occurred in the United States from 1946 to 1964. The
survey spans 41 years and provides information on work and nonwork experiences, education,
training, income and assets, health, and other characteristics. The information provided by
respondents, who were interviewed annually from 1979 to 1994 and biennially since 1994, can
be considered representative of all men and women born in the late 1950s and early 1960s and
living in the United States when the survey began in 1979. 
 
This release of the latest data from the longitudinal survey focuses on the number of jobs 
held, job duration, labor force participation, earnings growth, marital status, and health. 
Highlights from the survey include: 
 
 --Individuals born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 12.7 jobs from ages 18 to 56. These
   baby boomers held an average of 5.6 jobs while ages 18 to 24. The average fell to 4.5 jobs
   from ages 25 to 34; to 2.9 jobs from ages 35 to 44; and to 2.3 jobs from ages 45 to 56. 
   Jobs that span more than one age group were counted once in each age group, so the overall
   average number of jobs held from ages 18 to 56 is less than the sum of the number of jobs
   across the individual age groups. (See table 1.) 
 
 --Although job duration tended to be longer the older a worker was when starting the job,
   these baby boomers continued to have short-duration jobs. Among individuals who started
   jobs between the ages of 35 to 44, the average individual had 25 percent of their jobs
   end in less than a year, and 61 percent end in fewer than 5 years. (See table 2.)

 --On average, individuals in this cohort were employed during 78 percent of the weeks from
   ages 18 to 56. Generally, men spent a larger percent of weeks employed than did women (83
   percent versus 72 percent). Women spent twice as much time out of the labor force (24
   percent of weeks) as men (12 percent of weeks). (See table 3.)
 
 --The average annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings was highest during
   a worker's late teens and early twenties. Growth rates in earnings generally were higher 
   for workers with a bachelor's degree or higher than for workers with less education. (See
   table 5.) 

 --At the time of their 56th birthday, 65 percent of individuals were married and 35 percent 
   were not married. The percent of individuals who were married varied by education: those
   with a bachelor's degree or higher were more likely to be married than those with less
   education. (See table 6.)
  
 --At age 56, men who were not married were employed 75 percent of the weeks from ages 35 to
   56, compared with 91 percent for those who were married. The percentage of weeks employed
   was similar for women who were not married and married at 56 years of age (73 percent and
   75 percent, respectively). (See table 7.)

 --The percent of individuals reporting that their health limits the kind or amount of work
   they can do increased as the cohort aged. At 24 years of age, 4 percent of individuals
   reported that their health limits the kind or amount of work they can do; at 34 years of
   age, 5 percent were limited; at 44 years of age, 10 percent were limited; and at 56 years
   of age, 21 percent were limited. The percent of individuals whose health limited the kind
   or amount of work they can do was generally higher for those with less education. (See
   table 8.)

Number of Jobs Held 

Individuals in the 1957-1964 birth cohort held an average of 12.7 jobs from ages 18 to 56, with
nearly half of these jobs held before age 25. In this news release, a job is defined as an 
uninterrupted period of work with a particular employer. (See the Technical Note for additional
information on the definition of a job.) On average, men held 12.8 jobs and women held 12.5 
jobs from ages 18 to 56. Men held 5.8 jobs from ages 18 to 24, compared with 2.3 jobs from ages
45 to 56. The reduction in the average number of jobs held in successive age groups was similar
for women. (See table 1.)  
 
On average, men without a high school diploma held 14.1 jobs from ages 18 to 56, while men with
a bachelor's degree and higher held 12.1 jobs between these ages. In contrast, women without 
a high school diploma held 10.4 jobs from ages 18 to 56, while women with a bachelor's degree 
and higher held 13.4 jobs between these ages. 
 
At younger ages, White persons held more jobs than Black persons and Hispanic or Latino persons.
This gap decreased over time. On average, White persons held 5.8 jobs between the ages of 18 and
24, while Black persons held 4.8 jobs and Hispanic or Latino persons held 5.1 jobs. Each of 
these groups held between 4.3 and 4.7 jobs from ages 25 to 34; between 2.8 and 3.2 jobs from 
ages 35 to 44; and between 2.3 and 2.4 jobs from ages 45 to 56.

Duration of Employment Relationships 
 
The length of time a worker remains with an employer increased with the age at which the worker
began the job. Of the jobs that workers began when they were 18 to 24 years of age, the average
worker had 61 percent of those jobs end in less than a year and 87 percent of jobs end in fewer
than 5 years. Among jobs started by 35- to 44-year-olds, the average worker had 25 percent of
jobs end in less than a year, and 61 percent end in fewer than 5 years. (See table 2.) 

Percent of Weeks Employed, Unemployed, and Not in the Labor Force 
 
On average, the youngest baby boomers (born 1957-64) were employed during 78 percent of all the
weeks from ages 18 to 56. They were unemployed--that is, without jobs but seeking work--4 percent
of the weeks. They were not in the labor force--that is, neither working nor seeking work--18
percent of the weeks. (See table 3.) 
 
The amount of time spent employed differed substantially between those without a high school
diploma and those who had graduated from high school or attained higher levels of education.
Individuals with less than a high school diploma (as of the 2020-21 survey) spent 59 percent of
weeks employed and 34 percent of weeks out of the labor force from ages 18 to 56. By comparison,
high school graduates spent 76 percent of weeks employed and 19 percent of weeks out of the 
labor force, while those with a bachelor's degree and higher spent 85 percent of weeks employed
and 13 percent of weeks out of the labor force.
 
White high school graduates with no college were employed a higher percentage of weeks and out
of the labor force a smaller percentage of weeks than Black, and Hispanic or Latino high school
graduates with no college. Between the ages of 18 and 56, White high school graduates with no
college spent 78 percent of weeks employed and 17 percent of weeks out of the labor force,
while Black high school graduates with no college spent 64 percent of weeks employed and 27 
percent of weeks out of the labor force and Hispanic or Latino high school graduates with no 
college spent 73 percent of weeks employed and 21 percent of weeks out of the labor force. Among
those with a bachelor's degree and higher, however, there was little difference among racial
and ethnic groups in labor market attachment; each group spent between 83 percent and 85 percent
of weeks employed.

The amount of time spent in the labor force differed by sex, with women at every educational
level spending fewer weeks in the labor force than men. Overall, men were out of the labor
force 12 percent of weeks from ages 18 to 56; at these same ages, women were out of the labor
force 24 percent of weeks. Both women's and men's labor force participation increased with
their education level. Women without a high school diploma spent nearly half (49 percent) of
all weeks between ages 18 to 56 out of the labor force, while those with a high school diploma
and no college were out of the labor force 27 percent of weeks, those with some college were
out of the labor force 23 percent of weeks, and women with a bachelor's degree and higher were
out of the labor force only 17 percent of weeks. Among men, those without a high school diploma
were out of the labor force about 24 percent of weeks, while men in the remaining three education
categories were out of the labor force only 9 percent to 13 percent of weeks. (See table 3.) 
 
While women spent fewer weeks in the labor force than men on average, the labor force participation
patterns of men and women across ages were fairly similar. 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, they increased their time out of the labor force to 13 percent
of weeks. (See table 4.)

The percentage of weeks in which women were employed increased from 64 percent in the 18 to 
24 age group to a peak of 76 percent in the 35 to 44 age group and then decreased to 73 percent
in the 45 to 56 age group. Following a similar pattern, the percentage of weeks in which men
were employed increased from 73 percent in the 18 to 24 age group to a peak of 89 percent in
both the 25 to 34 and the 35 to 44 age categories. The percent of weeks employed then dipped to
83 percent in the 45 to 56 age group. (See table 4.) 

Percent Growth in Real Earnings

The inflation-adjusted earnings of workers born in the latter years of the baby boom (1957-64)
increased most rapidly while they were young. Hourly earnings grew by an average of 6.5 percent
per year from ages 18 to 24. The earnings growth rate slowed to 3.3 percent annually from ages
25 to 34 and then to 1.8 percent annually from ages 35 to 44. From ages 45 to 56, inflation-
adjusted earnings were stagnant (0.0 percent). 

In every age category, growth rates of inflation-adjusted hourly earnings generally were higher
for workers with more education. Earnings growth for 18- to 24-year-olds with less than a high
school diploma was 2.3 percent, while those with a bachelor's degree and higher saw their 
earnings grow by 9.3 percent at the same ages. Among 45- to 56-year-olds, those individuals 
with less than a high school diploma experienced negative earnings growth (-0.8 percent) on 
average, while earnings among those with a bachelor's degree and higher increased by 0.6 
percent. This pattern in earnings growth reflects, in part, the state of the U.S. economy during
the years in which survey participants were in each age group. (See table 5.) 

Marital Status and Employment Experiences

At 24 years of age, 43 percent of Americans born during 1957-64 were married and 57 percent were
not married. At 34 years of age, 68 percent were married and 32 percent were not married; at 44
years of age, 70 percent were married and 30 percent were not married; and at 56 years of age,
65 percent were married and 35 percent were not married. (See table 6.)

At age 24, those with lower levels of education were more likely to be married than those with
higher levels of education. The opposite was true at older ages. At ages 34, 44, and 56, those
with higher levels of education were more likely to be married than those with lower levels of
education. At the time of their 44th birthday, 55 percent of high school dropouts, 67 percent
of high school graduates with no college, 69 percent of individuals with some college or an
associate degree, and 79 percent of college graduates were married.

At age 24, women were significantly more likely to be married than men (50 percent and 37 
percent, respectively). Women at age 24 were also more likely to be married than men at each
level of educational attainment. At ages 34, 44, and 56, the percentages of women and men who
were married were very similar, ranging between 67 and 70 percent for men and 64 and 70 percent
for women. 

Marital status varied by race and ethnicity. Black persons were more likely to be not married
than either White persons or Hispanic or Latino persons. At 44 years of age, 50 percent of
Black persons were not married, compared with 26 percent of White persons and 35 percent of
Hispanic or Latino persons.

Compared with individuals who were not married at age 34, those who were married had worked
more weeks from ages 18 to 34 than individuals who were not married (78 percent versus 72 
percent), spent fewer weeks unemployed (4 percent versus 7 percent), and spent fewer weeks not
in the labor force (18 percent versus 20 percent). Similar relationships were observed at older
ages. At age 56, those who were married had worked more weeks from ages 35 to 56 than 
individuals who were not married (84 percent versus 74 percent); they also spent fewer weeks
unemployed (2 percent versus 5 percent) and fewer weeks not in the labor force (14 percent
versus 21 percent). (See table 7.)

At age 56, men had accumulated different employment experiences by marital status. From ages
35 to 56, men who were married at 56 had worked more weeks, been unemployed fewer weeks, and
been less likely to be not in the labor force than not married men. Married men had spent 91 
percent of weeks employed, compared with 75 percent for not married men. They had spent
2 percent of weeks unemployed, compared with 6 percent for not married men. Married men had 
spent 7 percent of weeks out of the labor force, compared with 19 percent for not married 
men. In contrast, there were limited differences in women's employment experiences by marital
status from ages 35 to 56 with both married and not married women spending about the same 
percentage of weeks employed (75 percent and 73 percent, respectively).

At age 56, married individuals also had worked more weeks than not married individuals within
racial and ethnic groups. Among White persons, those who were married had spent a higher 
percentage of weeks employed from ages 35 to 56 than those who were not married (84 percent
versus 77 percent). Among Black persons, those who were married also had spent a higher
percentage of weeks employed than those who were not married (79 percent versus 66 percent).
Among Hispanic or Latino persons, those who were married had spent a higher percentage of weeks
employed than those who were not married (80 percent versus 69 percent).

Health Limits and Work

Individuals in this cohort report whether their health limits the kind or amount of work they
can do; the percent of individuals reporting such limitations increased as they aged. At 24
years of age, 4 percent of Americans born in the years 1957-64 were limited in the kind or amount of
work they can do; at 34 years of age, 5 percent were limited; at 44 years of age, 10 percent
were limited; and at 56 years of age, 21 percent were limited in the kind or amount of work 
they can do. (See table 8.)

At ages 24, 34, 44, and 56, those with lower levels of education were generally more likely
to be limited in the kind or amount of work they can do than those with higher levels of 
education. By their 56th birthday, 46 percent of high school dropouts, 25 percent of high
school graduates with no college, 21 percent of individuals with some college or an associate
degree, and 11 percent of college graduates were limited in the kind or amount of work they can
do.

Women were more likely than men to report that health limits the kind or amount of work they
can do. At 24 years of age, 5 percent of women and 2 percent of men were limited in the kind
or amount of work they can do; at 34 years of age, 6 percent of women and 4 percent of men were
limited; at 44 years of age, 12 percent of women and 8 percent of men were limited; and at 56
years of age, 24 percent of women and 19 percent of men were limited in the kind or amount of
work they can do.

Limitations in the kind or amount of work individuals can do varied by race and ethnicity.
Black persons were more likely to report being limited than either White persons or Hispanic
or Latino persons. At 56 years of age, 30 percent of Black persons were limited in the kind 
or amount of work they can do, compared with 20 percent of White persons and 23 percent of
Hispanic or Latino persons.

Additional data are available at www.bls.gov/nls/y79supp.htm.