Older women are contributing to the American workforce more than ever, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
BLS predicts that by 2024, almost one in 10 workers will be 65 or older, and half of them are expected to be female. BLS also predicts that there will be twice as many older female workers (aged 55 and over) as working women ages 16-24, Quartz reports. The labor force in total is forecast to grow to about 164 million people by 2024, including about 41 million people age 55 and over, and 13 million people age 65 and over.
The BLS data shows that the number of women age 65 and over contributing to the U.S. workforce has been steadily rising since the early 2000s. The number of working men age 65 and over is also on the rise, following a slight decline in the 1980s. BLS economist Teri Morisi told Quartz that baby boomers were a factor in the rise of older workers. “[Boomers are] living longer,” she said, “so they need income to last throughout their lives.”