Working life expectancy and relative working life expectancy by gender; by race/ethnicity and gender; and by race/ethnicity, gender, and education
| . | WLE (in years) . | Relative WLE (%) . | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1997 . | 1998–2002 . | 2003–2007 . | 2008–2011 . | 1993–1997 . | 1998–2002 . | 2003–2007 . | 2008–2011 . | |
| Total Males | 14.5 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 12.7 | 54.1 | 47.1 | 50.0 | 42.9 |
| Total Females | 11.4 | 10.6 | 11.4 | 10.9 | 36.5 | 33.3 | 35.5 | 33.0 |
| White Males | ||||||||
| Total | 15.1 | 13.5 | 14.8 | 13.2 | 53.5 | 46.6 | 49.5 | 42.6 |
| Less than high school diploma | 11.8 | 10.4 | 10.0 | 7.9 | 47.1 | 43.3 | 40.5 | 32.3 |
| High school or GED | 14.4 | 13.0 | 13.6 | 13.2 | 53.8 | 46.4 | 48.0 | 44.6 |
| College or higher | 17.9 | 15.8 | 19.4 | 16.3 | 62.5 | 51.6 | 61.0 | 49.3 |
| White Females | ||||||||
| Total | 11.8 | 11.1 | 12.0 | 11.3 | 36.1 | 33.1 | 35.3 | 32.9 |
| Less than high school diploma | 8.5 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 28.3 | 20.9 | 22.6 | 21.6 |
| High school or GED | 11.7 | 11.4 | 12.2 | 11.5 | 37.1 | 35.5 | 37.3 | 34.3 |
| College or higher | 13.6 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 14.4 | 40.9 | 40.5 | 45.3 | 40.2 |
| Black Males | ||||||||
| Total | 10.5 | 9.0 | 10.8 | 9.1 | 63.8 | 54.2 | 57.3 | 47.7 |
| Less than high school diploma | 8.5 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 37.2 | 35.6 | 33.5 | 32.5 |
| High school or GED | 10.9 | 9.2 | 11.5 | 8.2 | 48.2 | 40.2 | 45.2 | 28.5 |
| College or higher | 15.0 | 9.1 | 19.1 | 17.6 | 69.2 | 29.2 | 64.1 | 57.4 |
| Black Females | ||||||||
| Total | 10.3 | 9.0 | 9.6 | 8.8 | 40.6 | 36.6 | 38.4 | 35.2 |
| Less than high school diploma | 7.1 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 26.3 | 22.0 | 20.6 | 19.7 |
| High school or GED | 11.3 | 10.0 | 10.9 | 9.9 | 38.9 | 33.1 | 36.2 | 31.5 |
| College or higher | 13.3 | 11.2 | 13.8 | 10.3 | 47.3 | 39.5 | 43.8 | 31.5 |
| Hispanic Males | ||||||||
| Total | 12.2 | 12.5 | 12.8 | 10.3 | 49.5 | 43.3 | 45.8 | 40.3 |
| Less than high school diploma | 10.5 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 8.9 | 36.8 | 36.2 | 33.7 | 28.6 |
| High school or GED | 12.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 11.0 | 42.4 | 42.6 | 42.3 | 35.3 |
| College or higher | 16.1 | 17.0 | 19.4 | 14.3 | 51.4 | 50.1 | 66.5 | 43.9 |
| Hispanic Females | ||||||||
| Total | 9.1 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 9.2 | 34.3 | 31.2 | 32.9 | 31.0 |
| Less than high school diploma | 7.3 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 7.3 | 21.7 | 17.9 | 16.2 | 22.0 |
| High school or GED | 11.4 | 9.7 | 11.8 | 11.2 | 34.7 | 25.6 | 31.3 | 29.1 |
| College or higher | 10.2 | 14.1 | 10.7 | 12.9 | 34.4 | 46.1 | 31.4 | 32.7 |
| . | WLE (in years) . | Relative WLE (%) . | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1997 . | 1998–2002 . | 2003–2007 . | 2008–2011 . | 1993–1997 . | 1998–2002 . | 2003–2007 . | 2008–2011 . | |
| Total Males | 14.5 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 12.7 | 54.1 | 47.1 | 50.0 | 42.9 |
| Total Females | 11.4 | 10.6 | 11.4 | 10.9 | 36.5 | 33.3 | 35.5 | 33.0 |
| White Males | ||||||||
| Total | 15.1 | 13.5 | 14.8 | 13.2 | 53.5 | 46.6 | 49.5 | 42.6 |
| Less than high school diploma | 11.8 | 10.4 | 10.0 | 7.9 | 47.1 | 43.3 | 40.5 | 32.3 |
| High school or GED | 14.4 | 13.0 | 13.6 | 13.2 | 53.8 | 46.4 | 48.0 | 44.6 |
| College or higher | 17.9 | 15.8 | 19.4 | 16.3 | 62.5 | 51.6 | 61.0 | 49.3 |
| White Females | ||||||||
| Total | 11.8 | 11.1 | 12.0 | 11.3 | 36.1 | 33.1 | 35.3 | 32.9 |
| Less than high school diploma | 8.5 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 28.3 | 20.9 | 22.6 | 21.6 |
| High school or GED | 11.7 | 11.4 | 12.2 | 11.5 | 37.1 | 35.5 | 37.3 | 34.3 |
| College or higher | 13.6 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 14.4 | 40.9 | 40.5 | 45.3 | 40.2 |
| Black Males | ||||||||
| Total | 10.5 | 9.0 | 10.8 | 9.1 | 63.8 | 54.2 | 57.3 | 47.7 |
| Less than high school diploma | 8.5 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 37.2 | 35.6 | 33.5 | 32.5 |
| High school or GED | 10.9 | 9.2 | 11.5 | 8.2 | 48.2 | 40.2 | 45.2 | 28.5 |
| College or higher | 15.0 | 9.1 | 19.1 | 17.6 | 69.2 | 29.2 | 64.1 | 57.4 |
| Black Females | ||||||||
| Total | 10.3 | 9.0 | 9.6 | 8.8 | 40.6 | 36.6 | 38.4 | 35.2 |
| Less than high school diploma | 7.1 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 26.3 | 22.0 | 20.6 | 19.7 |
| High school or GED | 11.3 | 10.0 | 10.9 | 9.9 | 38.9 | 33.1 | 36.2 | 31.5 |
| College or higher | 13.3 | 11.2 | 13.8 | 10.3 | 47.3 | 39.5 | 43.8 | 31.5 |
| Hispanic Males | ||||||||
| Total | 12.2 | 12.5 | 12.8 | 10.3 | 49.5 | 43.3 | 45.8 | 40.3 |
| Less than high school diploma | 10.5 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 8.9 | 36.8 | 36.2 | 33.7 | 28.6 |
| High school or GED | 12.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 11.0 | 42.4 | 42.6 | 42.3 | 35.3 |
| College or higher | 16.1 | 17.0 | 19.4 | 14.3 | 51.4 | 50.1 | 66.5 | 43.9 |
| Hispanic Females | ||||||||
| Total | 9.1 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 9.2 | 34.3 | 31.2 | 32.9 | 31.0 |
| Less than high school diploma | 7.3 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 7.3 | 21.7 | 17.9 | 16.2 | 22.0 |
| High school or GED | 11.4 | 9.7 | 11.8 | 11.2 | 34.7 | 25.6 | 31.3 | 29.1 |
| College or higher | 10.2 | 14.1 | 10.7 | 12.9 | 34.4 | 46.1 | 31.4 | 32.7 |
Note: WLE = Working life expectancy.
Source: Authors’ own calculations based on the Health and Retirement Study, 1992–2012.