The bar charts compare the employment rates of men and women aged 60 to 64 in Australia, Japan, the USA, and Belgium in 1970 and 2000.
Overall, male employment levels decreased in all four countries over the 30-year period, with Belgium experiencing the most dramatic decline. In contrast, trends for female employment were mixed; while the percentages of working women dropped slightly in Japan and Belgium, they saw a minor increase in Australia and the USA. Additionally, significantly more men remained in the workforce than women across all listed nations in both years.
In 1970, the vast majority of older men were employed, led by Japan at 84%, followed closely by Belgium at 79%, Australia at 74%, and the USA at 73%. By 2000, however, these figures had dropped across the board. Japan maintained the highest male employment at 76%, while the USA fell to 55% and Australia to 47%. The most radical change occurred in Belgium, where the share of working men plummeted to just 19%.
Among women, employment rates were considerably lower overall. Japan had the highest female workforce participation, despite a small decrease from 43% in 1970 to 40% in 2000. Conversely, the USA and Australia saw slight increases in female employment, rising from 36% to 38% and 18% to 19% respectively. Belgium registered the lowest figures for women in both years, with the rate dipping from 8% to a mere 7%.