The graphs below show the percentage of men and women aged 60-64 who were employed in four countries in 1970 and 2000.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Sample Answer:
The given bar charts compare four different countries namely Belgium, the USA, Japan, and Australia in terms of the proportion of employees falling into the 60-64 age group, categorized according to gender over a 30-year period, starting from 1970.
Overall, what is notable from the chart is that consistent increases were observed in the percentage of males aged 60-64 in employment across all countries. Meanwhile, with women in this age range, the upward trajectory was only seen in Japan and Belgium. Of all the countries, Japan recorded the largest shares of both male and female workforce entering their early 60s during the entire period.
As far as male labor force participation was concerned, in 1970, 74% of men aged 60 and older in Japan still worked, followed by the USA and Australia, with respective figures standing at around 55% and 47%. In Belgium, meanwhile, employed men in this age range accounted for just under 20%. During the three-decade period, although Japan only recorded a gentle rise to 86% in the employment rate among senior citizens, it still maintained the leading position. Similar changes, but to a far greater extent, can be seen in the data for Belgium, which rose fourfold to nearly 80%, securing its second position. The two remaining countries, Australia and the USA, also witnessed a marked uptick to 76% and 74% during this period correspondingly.
In terms of employment trends among female workers, Japan had the highest employment rate, as 40% of women falling into the 60-64 age bracket worked in 1970, after which this figure increased modestly to 43% over the next 30 years, the highest proportion among all the countries. The USA exhibited a contrasting pattern with its figure falling slightly from 39% to 36% over the same period. Australia rose insignificantly by 2% and ended the period at around 16%, double the figure for Belgium, leveling off at around 8% between 1970 and 2000.
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