Millennials surpass Gen X as largest share of US workforce

Millennials have surpassed Generation X this year to become the largest share of the U.S. workforce, according to Pew Research Center data released Monday.

More than a third of the labor force is millennials, said Pew, which based its analysis on U.S. Census Bureau data.

{mosads}Millennials are considered adults currently between the ages of 18 and 34. Last year, the demographic surpassed the baby boom’s share of the workforce, as boomers have begun to retire.

Generation X, whose members are ages 35 to 50, peaked in 2008, when it made up 84 percent of the U.S. labor force, Pew said.

In 2012, Generation X surpassed the baby boom generation as the largest share of the labor force.

The baby boom workforce, meanwhile, peaked in size with nearly 66 million workers in 1997. Pew says the youngest boomer is now 51 years old, and the oldest is close to 70.

Pew’s analysis is based on the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, which the federal government relies on to calculate the official unemployment rate and labor force counts.