Despite the demand for an educated workforce, college enrollment continues to trend downward.
Unemployment data reveal the ongoing discrepancies in unemployment rates among older workers by race, ethnicity, and sex, many of which further intensified during various points in the pandemic.
Many of the workers who retired during the pandemic were already at or beyond retirement age, making them less likely to return to work. But workers in the 65+ age group can be drawn back into the workforce under certain conditions.
Until the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, older women were among the fastest-growing demographic groups in the US workforce.
Will some retirees return to the labor force?
In many ways, we are still in the eye of the storm when it comes to seeing the employment effects of COVID-19.
In their search for educated workers, both employers and state workforce readiness policymakers may be overlooking a substantial source of untapped talent: the many adults in the United States who have some college but no degree.
The number of job openings rose above 9.2 million in May, and employers are doing more to attract workers, but over half of older jobseekers are still long-term unemployed.
Men ages 55 and older had among the largest declines in labor force participation rates during the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted labor market inequities. A growing body of research shows how much the economy stands to gain from addressing them.