For Immediate Release: February 7, 2025

Demographics explain overarching workforce trends in the 2000’s
Changes in the age structure of the population have resulted in a rising share of the population not in the labor force

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Labor’s Center for Workforce Research and Information (CWRI) has published a new report, “Demographic and workforce changes in Maine.”

The report documents population, jobs, and labor force participation trends in the 2000s, including:

• The share of jobs held by people aged 55 and over increased from 16 to 28 percent, while the share held by those aged 35–54 decreased from 50 to 40 percent.
• The population aged 35–54 decreased by 18 percent; the number of jobs held by this group decreased at a similar rate.
• The population increased by 43 percent for the 55–64 age group and by 70 percent for those aged 65 and over.
• Labor force participation rates have changed little for groups under 55 over the past two decades and are modestly higher today for groups aged 55 and above.

The report also identifies the reasons for, and characteristics of, people not in the labor force. The overwhelming majority are:

1) Retired (more than half)
2) Enrolled in school
3) Identify health or disability reasons
4) Identify home responsibilities reasons

The shifting age structure of the population explains overall trends in the workforce.

Read the full report here: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/blogs/Demographic&WorkforceChanges.pdf

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