behind the 2020 to 2021 decline, with the labor force participation rate within this cohort dropping from 68.6 Im Num plicat ber E ion m sp loyed and Labor Force Participation Rates of Americans Ages 60 –64 percent in 2020 to 63.8 percent in 2021, after having increased from 64.8 percent in 2019. The Black female labor force participation rate was relatively flat from 2020 to 2021, whereas it had decreased from 2019 to 2020. A Am ver ery d icans iffer ag ent es 5 pi 5ct –64 h ure e av me be ergeen s fam or tong he nu those mbe sl r o ow f ees mtpl to r oyed etu A rn m to e erica mp ns loy age men s 60 t si –nce 64 bet the pa weende n 20 m 19 and ic star 2021. ted. Thi The s num has be been l r ofed by White Am White er A ica mn es ritche ans se age ages s 55 em –p 59 loy oed i f bon 2 th g 021 su enders rpas , anse d,d to the n a les um ser b er ext ie n nt 2019, w , White hm ile alam es ong and B Bllac ack k April 14, 2022, #434 For White and Hispanic males, the labor force participation rates declined in 2020 compared with 2019 before A fem mer ale ica s a ns ges , the nu 60–64. mbH ere al em thpl st oyed atus, ica n 2021 regiviw ng nee as belds, ow t and he tnu he m abi belri i ty n t2019 o draw dow (Figure n sa 3). vi In ngs 2021 all, ca the n a num ffecber t va of rio us increasing in 2021. In fact, in 2021, the Hispanic labor force participation rates exceeded the 2019 levels, em cohor ployed ts’ w Wh illingne ite m ss al a end ab s remiai lined ty to be ret low urn th to e t2019 he wo lev rk el fo , rw ce her . Itea is s t im he por nu tan mbe t tr o pa of e rse mpl out oyed the f Wh acittor e f s dr emia vlie ng s su labo rpas r sed primarily driven by a surge in the Hispanic female labor force participation rate. In contrast, the White labor force i ftor s c 2019 e parltev iciel pa by tio eve n and n m em orp el oy than men the t, as lev tel he of y cou the ld d h ecav line s e ftor rong Wh liinks te mtal o bo es. tIh ne n con art-rtas ert m , and the num long ber -ter of m B filnan ack ci m aal l es participation rate in 2021 remained below its 2019 level, driven by a decline in White female labor force em secu plroyed ity of i n A2021 e mericax nce s. eded its 2019 level, while the number of Black females employed declined more in 2021 Americans Ages 55 –64 Lag in Return to Employment and participation in 2021 after a slight bump up in 2020. r elative to 2019. The numbers of both Hispanic males and females employed in 2021 exceeded those of 2019. The Emp loyee Benefit Research Institute is a private, nonpartisan, and nonprofit research institute based in the Labor Force — With Considerable Variations by The Wash Bilng ack Am ton, Der .C ica ., tn ha lab t for oc use forc s o e pa n hea rticlitpa h, sa tiovi n r ng ats, r e inc eti rr ea em seent d be , and twee ec n 20 ono20 an mic sd 20 ecur21 ity i am ssong ues. EB those RI age does s 60 not –64 lobby , Figure 1 and doe driven by s no a dr t take amat po ic li icy po ncrease sit iion Ra n ts. The wo he lce/ abor Et fr or k o cehnici f p EB artR icIi i pat s m tiy on ade po an rate ss of d i B Gen blleac by f k m undi al der es ( ng Figur f rom e 4) its .m Heim spb ani ers c and Americans Change in the Number of Americans Ages 55 –59 t spons hese a og rs, wh es saw the ich inc irl ude labor a b for road ce par rang tici e of pat ipubl on riat c e ne and p arl ry ivat rete ur or n gtani o itza s 2019 tions. For level m by o 2021, w re inform hi atlie ot n vi he Wh sit ite labor Employed, by Gender and Race/Ethnicity f w or w cw e pa .ebr rtii.o cirpa g. t ion rate remained below that of 2019 in 2021 due to the lagging participation rate of White males. The number of employed workers experienced declines across all demographic groups since the onset of the (in thousands) COVID-19 pandemic. Americans ages 55–64 have been among those slowest to return to employment since the Figure 3 400 1 pandemic started. However, within this cohort, new differences in the number employed and the labor force Change in the Number of Americans Ages 60 –64 161 200 participation rates by race/ethnici Etm y an pld gen oyed der , b have y Ge en m d er eged r an sid n ce R t ahe pa ce/Ende thn m ic ic itbega y n. 115 50 43 46 (in thousands) ### 0 200 -7 -15 -21 -51 -57 -72 -72 About the Data 126 -200 100 57 55 -292 36 -400 23 -388 The focus of this Fast Fact is the number of civilian noninstitutionalized Americans ages 55–64 wh 1o are -420 0 -504 -600 employed and the percentage in the labor force. The labor force is defined as those working or actively -17 -44 -52 -51 seeking e -1 -0 80 0m 0 ployment, w -68 hereas the number employed only accounts for those with a job. The data on the -88 -796 -102 -98 -808 number of employed and the percentage in the labor force are for December of each year (not seasonally -141 -142 -1000 -200 adjusted) and are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. -300 -270 -400 Change From 2019 to 2020 Change From 2019 to 2021 This Fast Fact builds on previous research in the EBRI Issue Brief “Labor Force Participation and the Pandemic: -413 Note: The numbers are from December of each year and not seasonally adjusted. Making Sense of the Changes” to explore, by race/ethnicity and gender, the trends in the number employed and So -5 u00 rce: U.S Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey," http://www.bls.gov/data/ All-White All-Black All-Hispanic Male-White Male-Black Male-Hispanic Female-White Female-Black Female-Hispanic the labor force participation rates of Americans ages 55–64 since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Change From 2019 to 2020 Change From 2019 to 2021 Note: The numbers are from December of each year and not seasonally adjusted. Number Employed and Labor Force Participation Rates of Americans Ages 55 –59 Source: U.S Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey," http://www.bls.gov/data/ Figure 2 Among Americans ages 55–59, the number employed at the end of 2020 was below its level at the end of 2019 Labor Force Participation Rates of Those 2 Figure 4 across each gender and race/ethnicity examined (Figure 1). However, by the end of 2021, the number of Ages 55 –59, by Gender and Race/Ethnicity Labor Force Participation Rates of Those employed Black and Hispanic Americans of these ages was higher than it was at the end of 2019. The one Ages 60 –64, by Gender and Race/Ethnicity exception was Black males, where the number employed was 7,000 below the 2019 number. In contrast, the All Males Females reduction in the number of White Americans employed in 2021 was even larger than in 2020, going from a 76% 68% 67.3% All Males 67.1% Females reduction of 796,0 7300 .8% in 2020 compared with 2019 to a reduction of 808,000. White females account 66.7ed f % or the 67% 74% 73.0% 85% 72.8% 65% 75% 56% 81.9% decline from 2020 to 2021, going from 292,000 fewer employed in 2020 relative to 2019 to 388,000 fewer 66% 80.8% 72% 69.6% 79.6% 69.0% 53.6% 59.7% 70% 54% employed by 2021. However, while White males did increase in the number 65% employed in 2021, they still had a 72.0% 80% 80.7% 64.0% 60% 58.7% 52.4% 70% 58.1% 52.0% 79.3% larger number not employed in 2021 relative to 2019 than 64.4% did White femal6e 4s: % 420,000 fewer employed in 2021, 78.8% 70.1% 65% 52% 59.0% 58.6% 66.0% 63.9% 75% 69.2% 68% 63% down from 504,000 fewer in 2020. 64.6% 64.2% 50.1% 55% 60% 50% 62% 62.6% 66% 54.9% 62.4% 68.6% 70% 47.9% 61% In terms of labor force participation rates, B 55l % ack Americans ages 55–59 had 48% the largest decline between 2020 and 65.2% 65.9% 6 50 4% % 47.0% 64.8% 51.0% 60% 63.8% 65% 2021 after having experienced an increase from 2019 to 2020 (Figure 2). Black m 59al .1% es w59.1% ere the driving force 63.2% 50% 46% 62% 46.7% 59% 46.1% 47.4% 45% 45.1% 46.0% 60% 60% 58% 45% 42.3% 44% 44.8% 44.4% 2019 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021 1 “Older Americans Stall in Returning to Work,” EBRI Fast Fact no. 430 (Employee Benefit Research Institute, March 24, 40% White Black Hispanic 40% White Black Hispanic 42% White Black Hispanic 2 022). 2019 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021 Note: The numbers are from December of each year and not seasonally adjusted. White Black Hispanic White Black Hispanic White Black Hispanic Source: U.S Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey," http://www.bls.gov/data/ 2 The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides data by race and ethnicity separately, so these are not mutually exclusive Note: The numbers are from December of each year and not seasonally adjusted. Source: U.S Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey," http://www.bls.gov/data/ categories. Both White and Black Americans could also be in the Hispanic category if the individuals say their race is White or Black and their ethnicity is Hispanic. EBRI’s on Twitter! @EBRI or http://twitter.com/EBRI EBRI blog: https://ebriorg.wordpress.com/ E E EB B BR R RI I I on on on T T Twitt witt witte e er r r: : : @ @ @E E EB B BR R RI I I o o or r r htt htt http:/ p:/ p://t /t /twit wit witter ter ter...c c com/ om/ om/E E EB B BR R RI I I B B Blog: log: log: htt htt https ps ps:/ :/ ://ebr /ebr /ebrio io ior r rg. g. g.wor wor wordp dp dpr r re e es s ss s s...c c com/ om/ om/ © 2022, Employee Benefit Research Institute, 901 D St. SW, Suit e 802, Washingto n, DC 20024, 202/659-0670 www.ebri.org 4 2 3