The bar chart compares variations in the percentage of male and female senior workers (aged 60-64) from different countries in 1970 and 2000. Overall, while men far outnumbered women in terms of employment across all countries, they exhibited significant declines, compared to the marginal, if mixed, changes seen in women.
In 1970, Japan had the highest proportion of men who were employed in their 60s, at a whopping 85%. This figure then decreased to 74% in 2000, marking the smallest decrease. Following closely behind were Belgium (79%) and Australia (76%), the two countries with the most substantial decreases in elderly employment, to 19% and 47%, respectively. The USA came last, with 73% of its older population working, although it saw a comparatively small decrease of 18 percentage points.
With women aged 60-64, a different pattern emerges as changes in employment were nowhere near as dramatic. Japan led the pack in this category too, where 43% of elderly women were employed, a figure which then fell by 3 percentage points by 2000. At the other end of the spectrum was Belgium, with its figures decreasing from 8% to 7%. The USA and Australia, in contrast, saw increases in the employment of women in their 60s (from 36% to 39% and from 16% to 18%).