Key points from the chart
- The chart tracks US workers aged 25 to 34 from 1950 to the third quarter of 2024, as a number (area, right axis) and as a share of all US employment (line, left axis).
- Their share fell to a low of about 19% in the mid 1960s, then climbed to a peak of about 30% in the late 1980s as the baby boom generation reached that age.
- The number employed rose from about 14 million in the mid 1960s to about 34 million around 1990.
- Since the 2000s the share has stayed close to 22%, even as the number employed rose again to about 36 million.
- A sharp, short dip appears in 2020.
All points are read from the graphic by Econovis, which cites the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; values are approximate, as the chart prints no data labels.
The 25 to 34 worker chart in text
Title: “From Baby Boomers to Millennials: Trends in the 25-34 Worker Segment”.
Chart type. A combined area and line chart. The shaded area shows “Employment (Aged 25-34 Years)” in millions on the right axis, marked 0 to 40 in steps of 5. The black line shows “Share of Total” US employment on the left axis, “Share of U.S. Employment”, marked 0% to 35% in steps of 5. The horizontal axis is marked 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 3Q2024.
Generation bands. Pale vertical bands label the birth years of each generation: Baby Boomers 1946-1964, Generation X 1965-1980, Millennials 1981-1996 and Generation Z 1997-2012.
| Period | Workers aged 25 to 34 (approx.) | Share of US employment (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | About 14 million, broadly flat | About 23% to 24% |
| Mid 1960s | About 13 to 14 million | Low of about 19% |
| Late 1980s to 1990 | Peak of about 34 million | Peak of about 30% |
| 1990s to 2000s | Easing to about 31 to 32 million | Falling to about 22% |
| 2009 to 2010 | Dip to about 30 million | About 21% to 22% |
| 2010s | Rising to about 36 million | About 22% to 23% |
| 2020 | Sharp, brief fall | Little changed |
| 3Q2024 | About 36 million | About 22% |
Footer: “Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics”, www.econovis.net, @econovisuals, and the Econovis “EV” logo.
What Econovis found
In the article that accompanies this chart, Econovis says the share of US workers aged 25 to 34 rose from 19% to 30% between the mid 1960s and the 1990s as the baby boom generation entered the workforce, and has averaged around 22% since the 2000s [1]. In numbers, workers in this age group grew from about 14 million in the mid 1960s to 34 million by 1990, fell to about 30 million in 2009, then rebounded to 36 million in the 2010s [1].
The article also compares older workers. The share of US workers aged 55 and over fell from 18% in the 1960s to 12% by the mid 1990s, then rebounded to 23% by 2024, and their number grew from about 15 million to 38 million by the third quarter of 2024 [1]. Econovis publishes that comparison as a separate two line chart in the same post [1].
Reading the generation bands
The shaded bands mark when each generation was born, not when it was aged 25 to 34, so each generation’s effect shows up about 25 to 34 years to the right of its band. Baby Boomers, born 1946 to 1964, were all aged 25 to 34 at some point between 1971 and 1998 (our arithmetic), which is when the line and the area rise to their peaks.
Pew Research Center uses the same cut off points for the younger generations: Millennials are those born from 1981 to 1996, and anyone born from 1997 onward belongs to the next generation, Generation Z [2]. By that definition, Millennials were aged 25 to 34 between 2006 and 2030 (our arithmetic), which matches the renewed rise in the number of workers in this age group in the 2010s.
Notes on this infographic
- Data date. The series ends in the third quarter of 2024 (3Q2024).
- No values are printed on the chart; the table above gives approximate readings, and the round figures in the context section come from Econovis’s article [1].
- The chart does not label or explain the sharp, brief fall in the number of workers in 2020.
- Generation boundaries are conventions. Pew notes that generational cut off points are not an exact science [2].
Questions about US workers aged 25 to 34
What share of US workers are aged 25 to 34?
About 22% of US employment was made up of workers aged 25 to 34 in the third quarter of 2024, according to the Econovis chart based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Econovis says the share has averaged around 22% since the 2000s [1]. The chart prints no data labels, so the readings are approximate.
When did the share of US workers aged 25 to 34 peak?
The share peaked at about 30% of US employment in the late 1980s, as the baby boom generation reached that age. It had fallen to a low of about 19% in the mid 1960s. Econovis says the share rose from 19% to 30% between the mid 1960s and the 1990s as the baby boom generation entered the workforce [1].
How many Americans aged 25 to 34 are employed?
About 36 million Americans aged 25 to 34 were employed in the third quarter of 2024. Econovis says workers in this age group grew from about 14 million in the mid 1960s to 34 million by 1990, fell to about 30 million in 2009, then rebounded to 36 million in the 2010s [1]. The chart also shows a sharp, brief fall in 2020 that it does not label or explain.
How has the share of US workers aged 55 and over changed?
The share of US workers aged 55 and over fell from 18% in the 1960s to 12% by the mid 1990s, then rebounded to 23% by 2024 [1]. Their number grew from about 15 million to 38 million by the third quarter of 2024 [1]. Econovis publishes this comparison as a separate two line chart in the same post as the 25 to 34 chart [1].
Sources
- Econovis, From Baby Boomers to Millennials: Trends in the 25-34 vs. 55+ Worker Segments. The creator’s post for this chart and a companion chart.
- Pew Research Center, Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins, 17 January 2019.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
