Connecticut Has 4th Largest Share of Older Workers, Survey Reveals

Connecticut is among the states with the most senior workers in the United States, according to a newly released survey. Connecticut has the fourth largest share of older workers, with 45% of the workforce aged 55 and above.

The national survey by Carewell found that:

•  43% of older workers said remote work made them less likely to retire.

• 1 in 4 older workers said that the return-to-office trend made them more likely to retire.

• 1 in 3 support “grandternity leave,” and nearly 1 in 10 would change jobs to secure it as a benefit.

The survey found that West Virginia holds the lowest share of older workers, with only 29% of the workforce over 55. The states with the most workers over 55 are Nebraska, South Dakota, and New Hampshire, with 47%, 46%, and 46% of the workforce aged 55 and above, respectively.

Nationally, 43% of older workers said remote work made them less likely to retire and 1 in 4 older workers said that the return-to-office trend made them more likely to retire.

"Connecticut ranks as the fourth highest state overall for employment levels over 55. However, there's a significant disparity between the percentage of men working over 55 (52%) and women (39%). In fact, Connecticut has the 10th biggest gap in the United States between employed men over 55 and employed women over 55,” explained Rachel Kirsch, Data Journalist working on behalf of Carewell.

While nearly 3 in 4 people between the ages of 55 and 59 were employed, that number drops to only 1 in 10 for those aged 65 to 69. The most significant decline in employment came between the 60 to 64 age group and the 65 to 69 age group. This big drop likely occurred because the age to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits is 67 (or 66, depending on your birth year).

When asked to describe the “biggest changes in the workplace,” older working adults identified increased technology integration (48%), greater diversity and inclusion (33%), the rise of flexible working hours (33%) and the increased focus on work-life balance (23%) and growing importance of continuous learning and upskilling (23%). 

In addition, the survey found that 40% of older workers use AI daily for tasks such as researching, generating ideas, and creating content.

Carewell surveyed 523 employed Americans over 50 and analyzed data from the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Labor Current Population Survey for workers aged 55+.