Americans aged 55 and older are leaving the workforce at a pace that should make policymakers uncomfortable. The labor force participation rate for that age group slipped to 36.9% in July, down from 37.1% in June, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Before the pandemic, that number sat above 40%. It had previously peaked at 43.6% in earlier decades.
The bigger picture looks even more concerning
The overall labor force participation rate edged down to 61.4% in July 2026, which marks the lowest non-pandemic reading since 1976.
The 55-plus participation rate had been hovering in the low-to-mid 37% range for months before this latest downtick.
