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

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, August 26, 2025  	                                     USDL-25-1322
 
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 12.9 jobs
from ages 18 to 58, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over 40 percent 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 57 to 66 when
interviewed most recently in 2022-23. 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 43 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, training, marital status, and
health. Highlights from the survey include: 
 
 --Individuals born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 12.9 jobs from ages 18 to 58. 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; to 2.2 jobs from ages 45 to 54; and to
   1.3 jobs from ages 55 to 58. 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 58 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 45 to 54, the average individual had 21 percent of their jobs end
   in less than a year, and 56 percent end in fewer than 5 years. (See table 2.)

 --On average, individuals in this cohort were employed during 77 percent of the weeks from
   ages 18 to 58. 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 labor force participation patterns of men and women across ages were fairly similar.
   For women, time spent out of the labor force decreased from 29 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; increased to 22 percent of weeks between the ages of
   45 and 54; and further increased to 30 percent of weeks between the ages of 55 and 58. Men
   were out of the labor force 19 percent of weeks between the ages of 18 to 24, and then
   fewer than 8 percent of weeks from ages 25 to 44; they increased their time out of the
   labor force to 12 percent of weeks from ages 45 to 54; and then to 20 percent of weeks from
   ages 55 to 58. (See table 4.)

 --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.)
 
 --By their 58th birthday, 75 percent of individuals had received training outside of their
   regular schooling that offers academic diplomas or degrees. Participation in training
   programs varied by education level: 42 percent of those with less than a high school
   education, 67 percent of high school graduates with no college, 81 percent of those with
   some college or associate degree, and 87 percent of those with a bachelor's degree or
   higher. (See table 6.)

 --At the time of their 58th birthday, 64 percent of the individuals were married and 36
   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 7.)
  
 --At age 58, men who were not married were employed 75 percent of the weeks from ages 35 to
   58, compared with 90 percent for those who were married. The percentage of weeks employed
   was similar for women who were not married and married at 58 years of age (73 percent and
   75 percent, respectively). (See table 8.)

 --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; at 54 years of
   age, 19 percent were limited; and at 58 years of age, 23 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 9.)

Number of Jobs Held 
 
Individuals in the 1957-1964 birth cohort held an average of 12.9 jobs from ages 18 to 58,
with over 40 percent 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 13.1 jobs and women
held 12.7 jobs from ages 18 to 58. Men held 5.8 jobs from ages 18 to 24, compared with 2.1
jobs from ages 45 to 54. 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 14.3 jobs from ages 18 to 58, while men
with a bachelor's degree or higher held 12.4 jobs between these ages. In contrast, women
without a high school diploma held 10.7 jobs from ages 18 to 58, while women with a bachelor's
degree or higher held 13.6 jobs between these ages. 
 
At younger ages, White people held more jobs than Black people and Hispanic or Latino people. 
This gap decreased over time. On average, White people held 5.8 jobs between the ages of 18 and 
24, while Black people held 4.7 jobs and Hispanic or Latino people held 5.1 jobs. Each of these
groups held between 4.3 and 4.7 jobs from ages 25 to 34; between 2.9 and 3.2 jobs from ages 35 
to 44; between 2.1 and 2.2 jobs from ages 45 to 54; and between 1.1 and 1.3 jobs from ages 55
to 58.

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 less 
than 5 years. Among jobs started by 45- to 54-year-olds, the average worker had 21 percent of 
jobs end in less than a year, and 56 percent end in less 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 77 percent of all the 
weeks from ages 18 to 58. 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 2022-23 survey) spent 58 percent of 
weeks employed and 35 percent of weeks out of the labor force from ages 18 to 58. By comparison, 
high school graduates spent 75 percent of weeks employed and 20 percent of weeks out of the labor 
force, while those with a bachelor's degree or 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 58, White high school graduates with no 
college spent 78 percent of weeks employed and 18 percent of weeks out of the labor force, while
Black high school graduates with no college spent 63 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 
72 percent of weeks employed and 22 percent of weeks out of the labor force. Among those with a 
bachelor's degree or 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 58; 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 (48 percent) of all weeks between 
ages 18 to 58 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 or 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 25 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 on average women spent fewer weeks in the labor force than men, 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 higher between the ages of 18 and 24, reflecting the transition from education 
and training to the work force, and between the ages of 55 and 58, marking the ages at which 
individuals have traditionally begun to exit the labor force. For women, time spent out of the labor 
force decreased from 29 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; increased to 22 percent 
of weeks between the ages of 45 and 54; and then increased to 30 percent of weeks between the ages of
55 and 58. Men were out of the labor force 19 percent of weeks between the ages of 18 to 24, and then 
fewer than 8 percent of weeks from ages 25 to 44; they increased their time out of the labor force to 
12 percent of weeks from ages 45 to 54; and then to 20 percent of weeks from ages 55 to 58. (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 74 percent in the 45 to
54 age group, and then to 67 percent in the 55 to 58 age group. Following a similar pattern, the 
percentage of weeks in which men were employed increased from 72 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 84 percent in the 45 to 54 age group, and then to 77 percent of weeks in the 55 to 58 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, to 1.9 percent 
annually from ages 35 to 44, and then to 0.1 percent from ages 45 to 55. From ages 55 to 58, earnings grew
by 0.7 percent annually. 

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 2.4 
percent, while those with a bachelor's degree or higher saw their earnings grow by 9.2 percent at the same 
ages. Among 55- to 58-year-olds, those individuals with less than a high school diploma experienced no earnings
growth (0.0 percent) on average, while earnings among those with a bachelor's degree or higher increased by
1.0 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.) 

Training Received by Age 58

By 58 years of age, 75 percent of individuals had received training outside of any regular schooling that
offers academic diplomas or degrees. Training programs may make it easier to find a job, improve job skills,
or learn a new job, and include vocational, technical, or trade; apprenticeship; school based; employer
training; training at work by outsider; training outside of work; or other training. (See table 6.) (See the
Technical Note for additional information on training compared with regular school.)

The type of training individuals received varied by race and ethnicity. White people were more likely to report
having received training at work by an outsider than either Black people or Hispanic or Latino people. At 58 
years of age, 33 percent of White people had received training at work by an outsider, compared with 22 percent
of Black people and 26 percent of Hispanic or Latino people. White people also were more likely to have received
training outside of work; 38 percent of White people had received training outside of work, compared with 24 
percent of Black people and 26 percent of Hispanic or Latino people. 

Training was most common for people when they were in their 30's compared with when they were in their 20's, 
40's, or 50's. Fifty-three percent of people between the ages of 31 and 40 received training, compared with 41 
percent between ages 21 and 30; 39 percent between ages 41 and 50; and 22 percent between ages 51 and 58. Those
with higher levels of educational attainment were more likely to have received any type of training. By their 
58th birthday, 42 percent of high school dropouts, 67 percent of high school graduates with no college, 81 
percent of individuals with some college or an associate degree, and 87 percent of college graduates had 
received some type of training.

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; at 44 years of age, 70 percent were married; at 54 years of age, 66 
percent were married; and at 58 years of age, 64 percent were married. (See table 7.)

At age 24, those with higher levels of education, especially those having a bachelor's degree or higher, were 
generally less likely to be married than those with lower levels of education. The opposite was true at older ages.
At ages 34, 44, 54, and 58, 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, 70 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, 54, and 58, the percentages of women and men who were married were similar, ranging between 67 percent and 71
percent for men and 62 percent and 70 percent for women. 

Marital status varied by race and ethnicity. Black people were less likely to be married than either White people 
or Hispanic or Latino people. At 44 years of age, 49 percent of Black people were not married, compared with 26 
percent of White people and 36 percent of Hispanic or Latino people.

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 8 percent), and spent fewer weeks not in the labor force (18 percent versus 20 percent). Similar
relationships were observed at older ages. At age 58, those who were married had worked more weeks from ages 35 to
58 than individuals who were not married (83 percent versus 74 percent); they also spent fewer weeks unemployed 
(2 percent versus 5 percent) and fewer weeks not in the labor force (15 percent versus 21 percent). (See table 8.)

At age 58, men had accumulated different employment experiences by marital status. From ages 35 to 58, men who 
were married at age 58 had worked more weeks, experienced fewer weeks of unemployment, and been less likely to be
not in the labor force than not married men. Married men had spent 90 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 8 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 58 
with both married and not married women spending about the same percentage of weeks employed (75 percent and 73 
percent, respectively).

At age 58, married individuals also had worked more weeks than not married individuals within racial and ethnic 
groups. Among White people, those who were married had spent a higher percentage of weeks employed from ages 35 to
58 than those who were not married (84 percent versus 77 percent). Among Black people, 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 people, those who were married had spent a higher percentage of weeks employed than those
who were not married (79 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 during
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; at 54 years of age, 19 percent were limited; and at 58 years of age, 23 percent were 
limited in the kind or amount of work they can do. (See table 9.)

At ages 24, 34, 44, 54, and 58, 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 58th birthday, 50 percent of 
high school dropouts, 28 percent of high school graduates with no college, 23 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; at 54 years of age, 23 percent of women and 16 percent of men were limited; and at 58 years of age, 26 percent
of women and 21 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 people were more likely
to report being limited than either White people or Hispanic or Latino people. At 58 years of age, 34 percent of Black 
people were limited in the kind or amount of work they can do, compared with 21 percent of White people and 24 percent 
of Hispanic or Latino people.

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