"The labor force participation rate of persons aged 65+ has increased markedly in recent years. In 2010, an average of 17.4% of persons aged 65+ were in the labor force, up from 10.8% 1985. The number of labor force participants aged 65 and over has increased by more than 15% (or by 915,000 workers and jobseekers) since December 2007. As of January 2011, nearly 6.9 million members of the labor force (4.5% of the total) were at least 65 years old," according to a 2011 analysis of BLS data.