In the 1950s, the societal expectation was for women to quit their jobs after giving birth and become homemakers. This notion was perpetuated by popular culture, which portrayed homemaking as the most fulfilling and desirable role for women.
As a result, only a small percentage of married women in the US continued working after having children. This was seen as the norm, and many men expected their wives to be content with staying at home and taking care of the family. However, this has changed significantly in recent decades, as more and more women choose to pursue their careers and continue working even after having children.
Today, women have more options and are able to make their own choices about how they want to balance work and family life. In September 2022, 58% of women were in the workforce, according to author Elizabeth F. Fielder.
She found that women over 60 who were still working had a variety of reasons for doing so. Some women felt they needed to continue working for financial or health reasons, while others chose to work because they enjoyed it.
These statistics highlight the diversity of women's experiences and the changing attitudes and norms surrounding work and retirement for women.
Today, many women are choosing to continue working or start new careers later in life, and this trend is likely to continue in the future.
According to the Department of Labor Statistics, the older age group, 65-74 years, is expected to have a 55% annual growth rate in the labor force in 2024, and the 75 years and older age group is expected to have an even higher growth rate of 86%. This is compared to a 5% increase in the labor force as a whole.
These projections suggest that there is a trend toward older individuals continuing to participate in the workforce and that there is likely to be a growing demand for older workers in the future.
Part of the reason for the increase is the aging baby boom generation, a large group of people born between 1946 and 1964. By 2024, baby boomers will have reached ages 60 to 78.