March 2026 Employment Data Digest

March 2026 Employment Data Digest
The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics employment numbers for people ages 55+

U.S. WORKFORCE:

• 178,000 jobs added in March
• Unemployment rate: 4.3 percent ↓
• Number of unemployed persons: 7.2 million ↓
• Labor force participation rate: 61.9 percent ↓
• Long-term unemployed ages 16–54: 25.9 percent ↑

55 AND OLDER U.S. WORKFORCE:

• 37.8 million 55+ workers employed in March  
• 55+ unemployment rate: 3.3 percent ↔
• Number of 55+ unemployed persons: 1.3 million ↔
• 55+ labor force participation rate: 37.2 percent ↓
• 55+ long-term unemployed: 27.5 percent ↑

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Arrows denote directional change from the prior month.

SUMMARY OF THE MARCH EMPLOYMENT SITUATION FOR 55+ WORKERS 

• The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March, a reversal from the 133,000 jobs lost in February (revised from -92,000 to -133,000). Job gains occurred in health care, in construction, and in transportation and warehousing. Federal government employment continued to decline.
• The overall unemployment rate decreased slightly from 4.4 percent in February to 4.3 percent in March.  The 55+ unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.3 percent. For men ages 55+, it decreased from 3.5 percent to 3.2 percent. The unemployment rate for women ages 55+ increased from 3.1 percent to 3.4 percent.
• In March, 25.9 percent of jobseekers ages 16 to 54 were long-term unemployed, compared to 27.5 percent of jobseekers ages 55 and older. 
• The total labor force participation rate was down slightly, from 62 percent to 61.9 percent. For those ages 55+, it was down slightly from 37.3 percent to 37.2 percent. The (unadjusted) rate for those ages 65+ was down, from 18.9 percent to 18.7 percent.

ABOUT THE DATA

The data in the Employment Data Digest are derived from the monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Situation release. The BLS has two monthly surveys that measure employment levels and trends: the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, also known as the payroll or establishment survey, and the Current Population Survey (CPS), also known as the household survey. The CPS survey provides a comprehensive body of data on the labor force, employment, unemployment, persons not in the labor force, hours of work, earnings, and other demographic and labor force characteristics. For more information, go to www.bls.gov/cps.

DEFINITIONS

Unemployed: The unemployed are individuals ages 16 and older who were not employed during the survey reference week (generally the week of the 12th) but were available for work and had made efforts to find employment sometime during the four-week period ending with the reference week. The unemployment rate is the number of people unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. 

Duration of unemployment: The duration of unemployment refers to the length of time that individuals classified as unemployed have been looking for work. The median duration of unemployment refers to the midpoint of unemployment, below and above which there is an equal number of observations. Average unemployment durations for older workers are typically longer than those experienced by younger age groups, especially during economic downturns. The long-term unemployed are jobseekers who have been looking for work for 27 weeks or more. Jobseekers ages 55 and older typically experience higher rates of long-term unemployment than younger jobseekers. 

Labor Force Participation Rate: The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is either employed or unemployed (i.e., either working or actively seeking work). 

Employment Rate: The employment rate refers to the proportion of the civilian non-institutional population that is employed. 

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