Working Age Population in the U.S.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Nowadays, 64.8 percent of the United States population is of working age (15-64 years). According to the United States Federal Reserve, we have a 2020 national population of 331,449,281; we’re left with a working-age population of about 214.8 million.

Historically, the working-age population in the U.S. reached a record high of 207,501,350.7 in June 2022 and a record low of 135,150,444.7 in January 1977.

Year	Share of population that’s Working Age, %	US Population	Total Working Age Population
1970	61.9	203,211,926	125,788,182
1980	66.1	226,545,805	149,746,777
1990	65.8	248,709,873	163,651,096
2000	66.2	281,421,906	186,301,301
2010	67.1	308,745,538	207,168,256
2020	64.8	331,449,281	214,779,134

In percentage terms, America’s working-age population achieved its highest rate in 2006 and 2007, when 67.3 percent of the American population was of working age. As of 2020, 64.8 percent of the U.S. population is between 15-64 years.

U.S. counties that have the highest percentages of the working-age population (2020):

1. Aleutians East (Alaska) – 83.15
2. Aleutians West (Alaska) – 82.29
3. Radford (Virginia) – 80.18
4. Whitman (Washington) – 76.54
5. Crowley (Colorado) – 76.39
6. Stewart (Georgia) – 76.36
7. Harrisonburg (Virginia) – 75.88
8. Riley (Kansas) – 75.55
9. Garza (Texas) – 75.15
10. Lexington (Virginia) – 74.99

U.S. counties that have the lowest percentages of the working-age population (2020):

1. Sumter (Florida) – 35.21
2. Skagway-Hoonah-Angon (Alaska) – 38.91
3. La Paz (Arizona) – 45.27
4. Harding (New Mexico) – 46.87
5. Catron (Nex Mexico) – 47.45
6. Prairie (Montana) – 48.27
7. Treasure (Montana) – 48.78
8. Sierra (New Mexico) – 48.87
9. Charlotte (Florida) – 49.29
10. Kalawao (Hawaii) – 49.43

Below is the animated map that shows the change in the American population aged 15-64 years from 2000 to 2020.

America’s population is aging. Since 2010, the median age also rose from 37.2 to 38.4 years. In 2019, more than half the U.S. states had a median age greater than 38.4.

Over the last decade, the increase of the non-working-age population — ages 0 to 14 and 65 and older — has exceeded the growth of the working-age population.

Here is the map showing the working-age population changes by county from 2000 to 2020.

Interesting fact that the age group of 35-44 is the most employed. The labor force participation rate among this age group in the United States is 77 percent as of 2020. While the age group of 55 and over is the least employed. The labor force participation rate among this age group in the U.S. is 36.4% as of 2020.