5 Cities With the Fastest-Aging Workforce

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Men and women 55 and older are remaining in the workforce longer.

Boomtowns

En español | Americans are working longer, which means a boom in experienced workers for many cities. “Workers in these cities are getting older, but older workers are also moving to states like Florida, so migration is at play here,” says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. Here are the five cities with the fastest-aging workforce, according to new research from CareerBuilder.

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Warm Mineral Springs Motel in North Port, Fla.

1. North Port, Fla.

With 1 in 4 workers falling into the age 55-plus demographic, experienced workers feel right at home in this beachside city nestled next to the Gulf of Mexico in Sarasota County. The share of workers in the 55-plus demographic grew by 1.5 percent between 2001 and 2016. Health care, retail and service industry jobs are among the most popular options. “In North Port, the general population is older, so the workforce reflects that,” Haefner says. She adds that there is a high density of home health care workers, 38 percent of whom are 55 or older, as well as amusement and recreation workers, with 32 percent age 55 or older.

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Oklahoma City skyline.

2. Oklahoma City 

About 1 in 5 workers in the Oklahoma state capital are age 55 or up. The city is a hub for state government, the oil and gas industry, and the arts, with many popular museums. Haefner points out that one-third of state government employees are 55 or older, and as a result, state capitals often have a naturally high concentration of more experienced workers. Like in North Port, the share of workers in the 55-plus demographic grew by 1.5 percent.

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Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

3. Virginia Beach, Va.

Virginia Beach might be known as a resort town popular with beach lovers, but it’s also home to military bases, including Naval Air Station Oceana, and corporate headquarters such as Amerigroup. Nearby colleges and universities also employ many locals. That gives workers — 19.5 percent of whom are 55 and up — plenty of employment options. The share of workers in the 55-plus demographic grew by 1.3 percent between 2001 and 2016. 

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California State Capitol.

4. Sacramento, Calif.

State government, professional and political organizations, and the health care industry are among the biggest employers in the city, where 21.7 percent of workers are 55 and over. Haefner adds that the agriculture industry and crop production employs about 4,200 people in the area, and 29 percent are at least 55. The share of workers in the 55-plus demographic also grew by 1.3 percent.

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Fountain in Riverfront Park on the Spokane River.

5. Spokane, Wash.

Teaching, state government, health care and social assistance jobs are among the popular options for workers in Spokane, where about 1 in 5 workers are 55 and older. Haefner adds that 30 percent of Spokane’s medical and surgical hospital workers are age 55 or over, as are 32 percent of workers in social welfare services. As with Sacramento and Spokane, the share of workers in the 55-plus demographic grew by 1.3 percent between 2001 and 2016.

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