Our World in Data, Labor Force Participation Rate of Men Aged 65+ in the United States, 1850 to 1900

This is a snapshot of an interactive line graph from Our World in Data that shows changes in the share of men aged 65 and over participating in the labor force from 1850 to 1900. The interactive graph on the website allows users to extend the timeline to 2015 and uses data from Short (2002) for 1880 to 1990 and OECD (2017) for 2000 to 2015. We have focused on the years 1850 to 1900 to show the immediate effects of industrialization on the U.S. labor force. Following 1880, there is a clear decline in men aged 65 and older participating in the labor force. Prior to 1880, more than 75% of men aged 65 and up were participants in the labor force with a peak of 78% in 1880, but by 1900 the percentage had fallen to just over 65%. Extending the timeline on the interactive graph shows that this general trend continues throughout the twentieth century. This change in the occupational structure has raised questions about the impact of industrialization on older men in the workforce and the extent to which they were forced into earlier retirement because of the demand for cheap labor, devaluing of their skills, and competition with younger workers.