The $30 million toe in the water

A record 18.7% of Americans age 65 and older were employed either full-time or part-time in 2025, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The data from the U.S. census Bureau's Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement for 2023 through 2025 analyzed employment and retirement trends among Americans 65 and older.

They also used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to identify occupations with the highest concentrations of older workers.

Why 4,000 unsold units became the prize

Nebraska recorded the nation's highest share of employed residents age 65 and older, with 31.3% working in 2025, the highest share in the country.

Nebraska also recorded the nation's largest increase over the two-year period, with the share of employed residents age 65 and older jumping 9.4 percentage points from 21.9% in 2023.

Washington recorded the nation's lowest employment rate among retirement-age residents, with just 11.6% of people age 65 and older working.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The anallysis also revealed substantial differences across occupations, with broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys having the highest concentration of workers age 65 and older, at 44.4%, followed by legislators at 38.9%, and farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers at 32.2%.

The prevalence of older elected officials is highlighted by the fact that 38.9% of legislators were age 65 or older, while artists and related workers had the smallest share of workers age 65 and older, at 10.9%.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

The findings suggest that some older Americans may continue working out of financial necessity, while others may simply enjoy their jobs, although the data does not explain why many retirement-age Americans continue to work.

The analysis also shows that many of the states with the largest two-year gains were smaller and less densely populated, while several other states reported employment rates below 15%, and 19 states experienced declines of at least one percentage point.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

The data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement for 2023 through 2025 analyzed employment and retirement trends among Americans 65 and older.

They also used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to identify occupations with the highest concentrations of older workers.

The analysis found that 18.7% of Americans age 65 and older were employed either full-time or part-time in 2025, while 31.3% of retirement-age reisdents in Nebraska were working in 2025, the highest share in the country.