Economy

‘AI Can’t Climb a Utility Pole’—Experts Warn of ‘Silver Tsunami’ in US Utilities

In the utilities sector, 80 percent of companies had at least a quarter of their employees aged 55 and older in 2022, up from 35 percent in 2006.
‘AI Can’t Climb a Utility Pole’—Experts Warn of ‘Silver Tsunami’ in US Utilities
Workers from PG&E work on repairing and restoring power lines in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 13, 2025. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Mary Prenon
Mary Prenon
Freelance Reporter
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Older employees have been the fastest-growing age group in the U.S. labor force for more than 20 years, particularly in the utilities sector, according to a recent report from the Census Bureau. Experts warn that the sector could be facing a “silver tsunami,” with many employees retiring and too few younger workers to step in.

Workers aged 55 and older made up 24 percent of the U.S. workforce in 2022, up from 10 percent in 1994, according to the report.

Mary Prenon
Mary Prenon
Freelance Reporter
Mary T. Prenon covers real estate and business. She has been a writer and reporter for over 25 years with various print and broadcast media in New York.