TABLE 3.
Characteristics of Older Adults by Labor Force Status: Health and Retirement Study, United States, 2004 and 2006
| Total 2004 and 2006 Population in 000s | In the Labor Force 2004 and 2006a |
Entered the Labor Force Between 2004 and 2006b |
Not in the Labor Force 2004 and 2006c |
Exited the Labor Force Between 2004 and 2006d |
|||||
| Population Characteristic | Population in Thousands | % (SE) | Population in Thousands | % (SE) | Population in Thousands | % (SE) | Population in Thousands | % (SE) | |
| Total | 72 931 | 31 085 | 42.62 (0.62) | 2065 | 2.83 (0.14) | 34 012 | 46.64 (0.61) | 5770 | 7.91 (0.21) |
| Age, y | |||||||||
| 51–64 | 38 499 | 25 360 | 65.87 (0.71) | 1226 | 3.19 (0.23) | 8487 | 22.04 (0.62) | 3426 | 8.90 (0.36) |
| 65–69 | 9987 | 3004 | 30.08 (1.13) | 390 | 3.90 (0.48) | 5536 | 55.43 (1.19) | 1058 | 10.59 (0.66) |
| 70–74 | 8228 | 1559 | 18.95 (0.97) | 227 | 2.76 (0.36) | 5768 | 70.10 (1.06) | 674 | 8.19 (0.54) |
| ≥ 75 | 16 216 | 1162 | 7.16 (0.41) | 221 | 1.37 (0.17) | 14 221 | 87.70 (0.59) | 612 | 3.77 (0.28) |
| Gender | |||||||||
| Men | 33 480 | 16 593 | 49.56 (0.81) | 935 | 2.79 (0.22) | 13 161 | 39.31 (0.76) | 2791 | 8.34 (0.34) |
| Women | 39 451 | 14 491 | 36.73 (0.69) | 1130 | 2.86 (0.19) | 20 851 | 52.85 (0.65) | 2979 | 7.55 (0.34) |
| Ethnicity/race | |||||||||
| Black non-Hispanic | 6434 | 2581 | 40.12 (1.51) | 242 | 3.77 (0.47) | 3039 | 47.23 (1.60) | 571 | 8.88 (0.65) |
| Hispanic | 4992 | 2065 | 41.37 (1.86) | 89 | 1.78 (0.34) | 2362 | 47.31 (2.15) | 476 | 9.53 (1.08) |
| White non-Hispanic | 59 668 | 25 536 | 42.80 (0.75) | 1689 | 2.83 (0.18) | 27 827 | 46.64 (0.74) | 4616 | 7.74 (0.26) |
| Other non-Hispanic | 1829 | 901 | 49.28 (3.78) | 44 | 2.40 (0.99) | 785 | 42.89 (4.09) | 99 | 5.42 (1.27) |
| Family incomee | |||||||||
| Poor | 5351 | 813 | 15.19 (1.29) | 156 | 2.92 (0.52) | 3863 | 72.19 (1.63) | 519 | 9.70 (0.99) |
| Low income | 11 662 | 2185 | 18.73 (1.09) | 385 | 3.30 (0.36) | 8091 | 69.38 (1.18) | 1001 | 8.58 (0.58) |
| Middle income | 21 302 | 6951 | 32.63 (0.99) | 624 | 2.93 (0.32) | 11 934 | 56.02 (0.97) | 1794 | 8.42 (0.45) |
| High income | 34 617 | 21 136 | 61.06 (0.92) | 900 | 2.60 (0.23) | 10 125 | 29.25 (0.88) | 2456 | 7.09 (0.33) |
| Education | |||||||||
| < high-school degree | 12 548 | 2742 | 21.85 (0.91) | 327 | 2.61 (0.32) | 8553 | 68.17 (1.13) | 925 | 7.38 (0.52) |
| High-school graduate | 42 342 | 17 842 | 42.14 (0.83) | 1302 | 3.08 (0.20) | 19 818 | 46.80 (0.79) | 3380 | 7.98 (0.33) |
| College graduate | 17 980 | 10 489 | 58.34 (1.20) | 433 | 2.41 (0.36) | 5608 | 31.19 (0.97) | 1450 | 8.07 (0.51) |
| Marital status | |||||||||
| Married | 48 940 | 23 323 | 47.66 (0.82) | 1494 | 3.05 (0.19) | 20 109 | 41.09 (0.77) | 4013 | 8.20 (0.31) |
| Widowed or divorced | 21 328 | 6489 | 30.42 (0.76) | 496 | 2.32 (0.27) | 12 800 | 60.01 (0.74) | 1544 | 7.24 (0.35) |
| Never married | 2656 | 1267 | 47.72 (2.30) | 75 | 2.82 (0.69) | 1102 | 41.51 (2.12) | 211 | 7.95 (1.30) |
| Household size | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 383 | 4784 | 31.10 (1.08) | 378 | 2.46 (0.29) | 9107 | 59.20 (1.03) | 1114 | 7.24 (0.45) |
| 2 | 38 959 | 16 241 | 41.69 (0.75) | 1110 | 2.85 (0.22) | 18 309 | 46.99 (0.78) | 3300 | 8.47 (0.36) |
| ≥ 3 | 18 590 | 10 060 | 54.12 (1.19) | 577 | 3.10 (0.28) | 6596 | 35.48 (1.07) | 1357 | 7.30 (0.45) |
| Health status | |||||||||
| Excellent or very good | 31 890 | 17 836 | 55.93 (0.96) | 1066 | 3.34 (0.24) | 10 822 | 33.93 (0.84) | 2167 | 6.79 (0.36) |
| Good | 21 918 | 9173 | 41.85 (1.03) | 650 | 2.97 (0.30) | 10 203 | 46.55 (1.04) | 1892 | 8.63 (0.44) |
| Fair or poor | 19 038 | 4060 | 21.33 (0.75) | 346 | 1.82 (0.29) | 12 944 | 67.99 (0.81) | 1688 | 8.86 (0.47) |
| Permanent teeth | |||||||||
| All missing | 11 727 | 2677 | 22.83 (1.09) | 383 | 3.27 (0.37) | 7860 | 67.03 (1.13) | 807 | 6.88 (0.50) |
| Not missing all | 61 205 | 28 408 | 46.41 (0.67) | 1681 | 2.75 (0.16) | 26 152 | 42.73 (0.65) | 4963 | 8.11 (0.26) |
| Dental coverage | |||||||||
| Never covered | 31 995 | 9312 | 29.10 (0.76) | 934 | 2.92 (0.21) | 19 424 | 60.71 (0.86) | 2325 | 7.27 (0.31) |
| Lost coverage | 6016 | 2272 | 37.78 (1.73) | 212 | 3.53 (0.63) | 2746 | 45.64 (1.71) | 785 | 13.05 (1.08) |
| Gained coverage | 5228 | 2206 | 42.20 (1.88) | 153 | 2.93 (0.53) | 2497 | 47.76 (1.68) | 371 | 7.10 (0.82) |
| Always covered | 29 692 | 17 294 | 58.24 (1.15) | 765 | 2.58 (0.23) | 9345 | 31.47 (1.07) | 2288 | 7.71 (0.48) |
Source. RAND Health Retirement Study Data, Version H.10
Note. Population characteristics were measured at the time of the 2006 interview, for the 2-y period preceding the 2006 survey interview, or between the 2004 and 2006 interviews where indicated. Persons with missing data for specific categories are included in the population total but excluded from the respective categories. The total sample size for the table is 16 061, which excludes 284 from the sample in Tables 1 and 2 who had missing labor force or retirement status data in at least 1 survey period.
Persons in the labor force or partly retired in both periods.
Persons becoming partly retired or in the labor force in 2006 from being not in the labor force or fully retired in 2004.
Persons fully retired or not in the labor force in both periods.
Persons becoming fully retired or not in the labor force in 2006 from being in the labor force or partly retired in 2004.
Low income refers to persons in families with incomes 101% to 200% of the poverty line; middle income, 201% to 400% of the poverty line; and high income, more than 400% of the poverty line. Poor persons were at or below < 100% of the poverty line including persons in families with negative income.