Chapter 5. Projected Labor Force Trends

Figure 5-1. Age distribution of the U.S. population, 2000-2050

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004, "U.S. Interim Projections by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin,” http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/usinterimproj/ Internet Release Date: March 18, 2004.

• The resident population of the United States surpassed 304 million in June 2008, and by 2050, the population will approach 420 million.¹⁸  During this period, the population of 65 and older Americans is expected to more than double compared to current levels to reach an estimated 86.7 million.
   
• By 2030, nearly one-fifth of the population will be 65 years or older.  Growth in the population of younger Americans will be slower, as the population under 20 years of age will increase from current levels by roughly one-quarter to 109.1 million by 2050.
   
• The working-aged adult population (age 20-64) will reach 224.0 million in 2050, up from 166.5 million in 2000. This is a 34.5 percent increase, a rate somewhat slower than the population as a whole.  At that time, the working-age adult population will be 53.4 percent of the population, down from 59.0 percent in 2000.

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