Meanwhile, the number of workers aged 25–54 actually fell 35,000. That’s supposed to be “prime working age,” so any decline should ring alarm bells.
The numbers are even more alarming if you are male. Men aged 25–54 lost 119,000 jobs in October.

This pattern isn’t new, either. Since December 2007, workers aged 55 and older gained over 7.5 million jobs, while those under 55 lost a cumulative 4.6 million jobs. Older workers are simply taking employment market share from younger workers.
Why So Many Boomers Are Still Working
What is behind this trend? It’s partly demographic. The US population is aging as the Baby Boomer bulge grows older and Millennials postpone parenthood. Nevertheless, it does look as though Baby Boomers are staying in the labor force longer than expected.
Some Boomers may be delaying retirement simply because they enjoy working. They are healthier than previous generations were in their late 60s. I’m in that category myself.
More ominously, though, millions of Boomers are reaching retirement age without much in the way of retirement assets. They aren’t retiring because they can’t afford it.