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New research finds shrinking prime age worker population being filled by older workers
A new research report published by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, or EBRI, taking a historical look at labor force participation and employment data in the United States found the prime working age population (25-64 years old) has significantly fallen and is being filled by older workers.At the same time, the labor force participation rate of those ages 65 or older has not reached its pre-pandemic level, while that of the prime working age population has reached that level.
The report, “Trends in Labor Force Participation and Employment of Americans Ages 16 or Older,” examines the U.S. civilian labor force through December 2023, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey.
As the Baby Boom generation has aged, the American labor force has also grown older. The new research evaluates several labor force questions relating to the civilian noninstitutionalized American population, including the labor force participation rates by age and gender, shares of the U.S. population and the U.S. civilian labor force by age and gender. This study examines these trends as far back as 1975.
Key findings in the report include:
• The share of the labor force that is of prime working ages (ages 25–64) has significantly fallen since the mid-1990s despite the labor force participation rates of individuals of these ages remaining near mid-1990s levels. The decrease is being driven by the smaller number of people of these ages (meaning that younger and older Americans are needed to cover this decrease). So far, the older population has been filling the gap in the labor force, as those younger than age 25 are at near record-low levels for their share of the labor force.
• Beginning 2008, the U.S. population (ages 16 or older) became increasingly composed of those ages 65 or older. By 2023, this age category made up the largest share of the population. Americans ages 16-24 made up the smallest proportion of this population, while those ages 45-54 made up the second smallest share.
• When analyzing the U.S. population ages 16 or older by age and gender, females ages 65 or older made up the largest proportion by a sizable margin. However, males of the same ages tended to make up a comparatively larger share of the labor force than females, with the labor force gaps being smallest among the youngest and oldest age ranges.
• The labor force participation rates of those ages 16 or older were overall relatively constant from 1975-2023. However, participation rates rose for females and fell for males, though both genders had lower participation rates in 2023 than in 2008.
• Labor force participation rates of White Americans ages 16 and older declined from 2000-2023, with the rates for Black and Hispanic Americans also being lower in 2023 than in 2000. However, the labor force participation rates for Black and Hispanic Americans increased sharply from 2021–2023 after falling in 2020, while this was not the case for White Americans.
“Despite the difference in labor force participation (LFP) rates between 1975 and 2023 being less than 2 percentage points, significant changes in labor force patterns and composition have occurred over the past several decades. The LFP rates decreased for men and increased for women over this timespan, though female LFP rates have trended down since the 1990s, resulting in a lower overall LFP in recent years. A large decline in the LFP rate was observed among those ages 16-19 at the beginning of the 2000s, while those ages 65 and over have had an increase in the LFP rate,” explained Craig Copeland, director, Wealth Benefits Research, EBRI.
“The age of the labor force will play an important role in companies’ workforce development. At present, the aging of the Baby Boom generation has resulted in an increased share of older individuals in the labor force,” Copeland continued. “However, members of this generation are almost all at least in their 60s, and the next generation, Gen X, is much smaller. So, a decrease in the share of workers ages 55 or older is imminent. How quickly this outcome results will be determined by whether the Baby Boom generation has continual higher labor force participation rates at ages over 65 than what has occurred in the past.”
The Employee Benefit Research Institute is a non-profit, independent and unbiased resource organization that provides the most authoritative and objective information about critical issues relating to employee benefit programs in the United States. The organization also coordinates activities for the Center for Research on Health Benefits Innovation, Financial Wellbeing Research Center, Retirement Security Research Center and produces a variety of leading industry surveys during the year. For more information, visit www.ebri.org.
Community members share ideas for new Clearlake Oaks park
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. — Plans for a park whose genesis has been several years in the making took a step forward during the first community meeting on the project in Clearlake Oaks on Tuesday.
The John T. Klaus Park will be located on 584 acres of donated land along Highway 20 east of Clearlake Oaks.
The Board of Supervisors accepted the property donation in November of 2022.
The new land will be added to the county’s park system, which currently includes roughly 2,000 acres, most of it part of Mount Konocti County Park, Public Services Director Lars Ewing told Lake County News.
The Lake County Public Services Department, which will manage the park, hosted the community meeting at East Lake School Tuesday evening.
Ewing and Public Services Deputy Director Kati Galvani were on hand along with Scott Redding, principal landscape architect, and Lesley Owning, principal environmental planner, of Helix Environmental Planning of Folsom, the company hired to do the initial analysis and conceptual planning.
About 34 people — including District 4 Supervisor-elect Brad Rasmussen and his wife, Karyn — came to listen to the presentation, review a series of picture boards showing the project area, ask questions and share ideas with the consultants.
“This is more of a listening session than anything,” said Ewing.
Ewing said the county has been working with the Elem Colony, meeting with its tribal historic preservation officer regarding the project and also doing additional tribal outreach.
The John T. Klaus 1994 Trust provided not just the property but between $3 million and $4 million in funds for the sole purpose of supporting the park, Ewing reported.
The trust spells out specific requirements, including that the land must be used for a park, that the park must be named for John T. Klaus, that the rear one-third of the property must be used for a wildlife preserve or refuge, and that areas in the front of the park shall be used for youth sporting activities.
Helix is doing the biological and cultural constraints analysis, which Ewing said will determine what additional biological and cultural studies are needed.
From there, the process is expected to move into conceptual design and then schematic design, he said.
However, that part of the process is much farther down the road. Tuesday night’s meeting was to get the process off the ground by hearing from community members about what they envision for the park. More meetings, one virtual and another in-person, are coming up.
Owning explained outreach with tribes and the California Native American Heritage Commission to find out if cultural resource studies have been done on the site. They are waiting for responses to those informational requests.
No study of the site has been done to date. Owning said they believe the more recent uses of the property have been for a homestead, grazing and an orchard.
From the audience came a long list of possible amenities for the park, with trails — walking, biking and equestrian — chief among them.
There also were suggestions for a visitor center to promote the county, RV and camping sites, bathrooms, concessions, a fitness circuit, a dog park and dog waste stations, a stage for weddings and events, a community garden, interpretive signage and a native plant garden. Businessman Don Van Pelt said the trails should be wide to help with visibility as there are a lot of rattlesnakes in the area.
Considerations for park design include access points into the park, either off of Highway 20 or Almond Lane.
Van Pelt pointed out that they should feature a knoll — located behind the nearby quarry that he owns — in the new park, as the spot has one of the prettiest views of Clear Lake in Lake County.
Explaining that the project is now in the very early planning stage, Ewing said the next step is defining the project and advancing it by coming up with a master plan.
After the concept design is created — which will take a few months to complete — Ewing said there will still be much to do, including preliminary plans, and there will be more public input opportunities.
For more information, to offer ideas and input, or to be added to the notification list, email Public Services’ Parks Division at
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Lakeport Police Department to increase patrols during Labor Day weekend
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department reported that it will increase patrols during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, focusing specifically on identifying drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs, or a combination of both.The enhanced enforcement will run from Friday, Aug. 30, through Monday, Sept. 2, as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping our roads safe.
Labor Day weekend is a time for celebration and relaxation, but it is also one of the deadliest times of the year on our nation's roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32% of all traffic fatalities involved drivers who were impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Driving under the influence puts everyone at risk, including drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
The Lakeport Police Department wants everyone to enjoy their Labor Day weekend, but we also want them to do so responsibly. Remember to designate a sober driver, use public transportation, or call a rideshare service.
The Lakeport Police Department encourages all residents and visitors to follow these simple tips to ensure a safe holiday weekend:
• Plan ahead: Before you start drinking, designate a sober driver or plan to use alternative transportation.
• If you’re hosting a gathering, make sure all your guests have a safe way to get home.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911 immediately.
• If you have friends or family who are about to drive impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get home safely.
This Labor Day weekend, remember that driving under the influence is not worth the risk. Not only can it lead to serious injury or death, but it can also result in significant legal and financial consequences, including DUI charges, fines and increased insurance rates.
The Lakeport Police Department said it is committed to keeping the community safe. “By working together, we can make sure everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend.”
Caltrans charges ahead on powering a West Coast zero-emission truck corridor with $102 million in federal funds
California, Oregon and Washington have secured $102 million to install charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations for trucks along Interstate 5 and other key freight corridors.“The Biden-Harris Administration is helping California build our clean transportation infrastructure, faster. This latest federal funding is another opportunity for America’s exports to look west for moving freight while fighting our climate crisis,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project is an innovative and collaborative multi-state effort to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVs, in the trucking and logistics industries.
The funding comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021.
“Focusing on economic prosperity and climate action allows us to combine our sustainability and equity efforts while improving our nation’s transportation network,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “This latest federal funding is another opportunity for America’s exports to look west for moving freight while combating climate change.”
The award will result in new, publicly accessible charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations. These stations will support the emissions-free movement of goods locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Construction of the new charging stations is expected to begin in 2026.
“With this level of federal funding, truckers can travel from San Diego to Seattle in zero-emission trucks,” said Patty Monahan, California Energy Commission commissioner. “By zeroing out harmful pollution in this critical sector with zero-emission trucks, we can bring cleaner air to the communities that need it the most.”
“Our success with this grant is due to the strong partnership among the west coast states and our national leadership in reducing emissions from transportation,” said Kris Strickler, Oregon Department of Transportation director. “Heavy trucks are a vital part of our economies, and this federal funding will give us the opportunity to meet the trucking industry’s need for more modern infrastructure.”
“We are pleased to have partnered with Caltrans, the California Energy Commission and ODOT to receive this award. This coordinated effort amongst the three states will further enhance all our efforts to strengthen the overall charging infrastructure along the West Coast,” said Washington State Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar. “The award supports Washington’s climate work by allowing further investment in building a robust and sustainable EV charging infrastructure throughout Washington.”
The project builds on years of partnership and planning to support infrastructure for zero-emission trucks on the West Coast. This includes public-private collaboration and coordination among electric utilities in the three states.
The new charging and fueling stations will support California’s implementation of the Advanced Clean Trucks, or ACT, standard, a world-leading policy first adopted in 2020 that requires an increasing percentage of truck sales to be ZEVs.
In 2021, Oregon and Washington became the second and third states after California to adopt this policy. In 2023, one out of six new medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in California were zero-emission vehicles, exceeding the ACT’s ZEV sales goals two years ahead of schedule.
This funding will also support implementation of the Advanced Clean Fleets, or ACF, standard adopted by California in 2023. Under the ACF, fleets across the state will start a phased transition to ZEVs and all new medium- and heavy-duty truck sales will be ZEVs by 2036.
Development of infrastructure on the project will build on the significant progress for light-duty ZEV infrastructure. With over 14,000 direct current (DC) fast chargers, the three states account for one-third of the nation’s publicly accessible fast chargers for light-duty vehicles.
Why it matters:
• Trucks total 6% of vehicles on California’s roads, but they account for over 35% of its transportation-generated emissions of smog-causing nitrogen oxides and a quarter of the state’s on-road greenhouse gas emissions.
• Communities along trucking corridors and near warehouses with heavy truck traffic face disproportionate health burdens. This grant funding supports corridors that have some of the worst air pollution in the nation.
• Interstate 5 connects metropolitan areas, regional highways, and globally important ports, such as the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (Ports of Seattle and Tacoma). In 2023, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handled 29% of all containerized waterborne imports and exports in the U.S. and over $73 billion in international trade flowed through the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Interstate 5 and nearby border highways are also critical to the movement of freight at the borders with Mexico and Canada.
