Older Workers Are Taking the Jobs. New Research Shows Why Younger Workers Are Being Left Behind
A new analysis from Revelio Labs shows a quiet but significant shift in the U.S. labor market. The people starting new jobs are getting older, while younger workers are finding it increasingly difficult to get hired at all.
In a January 6, 2026 report, Lisa K. Simon, Chief Economist at Revelio Labs, finds that the average age of workers beginning new positions has risen sharply since 2022. By 2025, the average new hire was over 42 years old, a level that runs counter to how labor markets usually behave late in an economic expansion.
The data reveal two opposing trends that now define entry into new jobs. The share of workers under 25 starting new positions has been falling steadily since the mid 2010s, dropping from about 16 percent to single digits by 2025. At the same time, the share of workers aged 65 and older entering new roles has risen sharply, with the increase accelerating after 2022.
This pattern is often explained as a simple consequence of an aging population. Simon’s research suggests otherwise. The timing lines up closely with higher interest rates, slower economic growth, and more cautious hiring behavior by employers. Hiring has not stopped, but it has become more selective. Firms are prioritizing experience and immediate productivity over long term potential, making older workers more competitive than younger candidates.
The shift is visible in the average age of new hires. After increasing gradually for years, the average age jumped after 2022 and continued rising through 2025. Historically, tight labor markets pull younger workers into new jobs and lower the average age of hires. The current cycle shows the opposite. The labor market remains active, but access is increasingly tilted toward experience.
Crucially, this is not a story about the economy shifting toward older occupations. Revelio Labs decomposed the change in average hiring age and found that nearly all of the increase comes from aging within occupations, not from workers moving into roles that naturally skew older. In practice, the same jobs are being filled by older workers than in the past.
The occupations aging the fastest further support this conclusion. Service intensive and people facing roles have seen the largest increases in average age. Sales representatives, service operations roles, claims adjusters, office assistants, and real estate agents have all aged by nearly three years since 2015. These jobs reward judgment, interpersonal skills, and professional networks that build over time, and they place less emphasis on rapidly evolving technical skills.
More technical and analytics driven roles show a different pattern. Data analyst roles have become younger on average, and systems analyst positions have aged only modestly. These fields continue to rely on structured training pipelines and early career hiring, allowing younger workers to enter despite broader labor market headwinds.
The research also shows that older workers are not re entering the labor market randomly. Workers over 65 are disproportionately starting new roles in sales, strategy, teaching, and community facing positions. Sales roles stand out most clearly, with older workers overrepresented by more than ten percentage points compared with other age groups. These positions often value credibility, experience, and relationships, and they frequently offer flexibility that makes later life work more attractive.
Simon concludes that the workforce is aging not just because Americans are living and working longer, but because economic conditions have changed who gets hired. Slower growth and tighter financial conditions have raised hiring thresholds. Younger workers face higher barriers to entry, while older workers delay retirement or return to work.
The result is a labor market that looks stable on the surface but is turning over less and offering fewer entry points for new workers. The line between working life and retirement is blurring, while early career opportunities are narrowing. For younger workers, the challenge is no longer just finding the right job. It is finding a first job at all.
