Women increasingly working into their 60s, 70s

Editor's Note

New studies of census, earnings, and retirement data show that women’s career paths are more closely mirroring men’s, including an increasing tendency to work full-time into their 60 and 70s, the February 11 New York Times reports.

About 30% of women aged 65 to 69 are working, which is double the 15% rate from the late 1980s, and 18% of women 70 to 74 are working, up from 8%.

The data also show that more highly educated women are more likely to stay in the workforce longer.

The data adds a bright chapter to the narrative of women's progress in the world of work. Even though their participation in the labor force in the United States has flattened in recent years, and as mothers especially face serious challenges, women are working more than ever and getting fulfillment, not just income, from their jobs.