A wave of retirements is leaving some US industries desperate to hire

Across the U.S. economy, a number of industries are facing the same formidable challenge. That challenge is replenishing a workforce that is being diminished by a surge of retirements that began during the pandemic and has continued since. Since 2019, the proportion of retirees in the U.S. population has risen from 18% to nearly 20%, the equivalent to about 3.5 million fewer workers. And the trend seems sure to accelerate.