A recent Brookings article shared some important findings about the state of the U.S. workforce, and while they might get lost in the current news firehose, they’re well worth our attention. The piece highlights several insights, but one headline stands out: prime-age labor force participation (ages 25–54) is at its highest point in more than 20 years, currently sitting at 83.4%.
That’s not just good news for the economy, it’s a powerful reminder that people want to work when the conditions make it possible. But digging deeper into the data reveals something even more compelling: who is returning to the workforce, why they’re coming back, and what it takes to keep them engaged.
At Inclusion Geeks, we see this moment as a call to action. So we’re diving into some of Brookings’ key takeaways and exploring how they connect to inclusive workplace design, especially for caregivers, disabled workers, and aging employees.
Mothers Are (Re)Joining the Workforce
One of the biggest shifts noted in the Brookings piece is the sharp increase in labor force participation among prime-age mothers, especially those with young children under five. This group saw a nearly three percentage point increase since 2019. This is a remarkable rebound that challenges the narrative that the pandemic drove women permanently out of the workforce.
So, what changed? Two things stand out:
- The rise of remote and hybrid work
- A renewed push for flexible and caregiving-friendly policies
It turns out that when you give parents, especially mothers, more control over how and when they work, many of them will gladly re-enter the workforce. They didn’t lack ambition or skills. They lacked access to jobs designed for the reality of their lives.
This is a profound shift, not just in participation, but in power. It’s a reminder that inclusion means more than getting in the door. It means having the support to stay, grow, and lead while still being able to care for what matters most outside of work.
Why Telework Is Essential to Inclusive Workplaces
While many of the headlines focus on how telework helps parents, the benefits extend far beyond caregiving. The Brookings article notes that roughly 25% of all prime-age workers teleworked between January and May 2025. That’s not a small side category. It’s a sizable chunk of the workforce and it’s one of the clearest signals we have that work as we know it has changed.
For workers managing chronic illness or disability, remote work can be the difference between employment and long-term unemployment.
It allows for:
- Control over one’s environment, which can dramatically reduce stress and flare-ups
- Flexibility around medical appointments or energy levels
- Reduced barriers to entry, such as commuting, navigating inaccessible office spaces, or sensory-overloading environments
But it’s critical to remember that remote work alone isn’t inherently inclusive. Without intentional policies, onboarding, communication norms, and team expectations, people can feel isolated or invisible. That’s where workplace culture comes in.
Men and Disability Must Be Part of the Inclusion Conversation
One striking data point from the Brookings article is that among men ages 25–54 who are not in the labor force, disability is the most common reason cited for not working. The article doesn’t specify the types of disability—whether physical, mental, or otherwise—but this gap deserves closer attention.
Too often, discussions around disability and inclusion center on compliance or accommodations after disclosure. But this trend signals a deeper issue: workplaces may not be designed to welcome people with certain health challenges in the first place.
It’s important to focus on how work is structured, the expectations around productivity, and whether flexibility is seen as a legitimate option or a career risk. Another consideration is psychological safety: if employees don’t feel safe disclosing a health issue or disability, they may quietly exit the workforce altogether.
By creating inclusive work environments that embrace flexibility, honor energy variability, and normalize conversations around mental and physical health, we can make it easier for everyone to participate in meaningful work.
And with baby boomers continuing to age out of the workforce, we can’t afford to ignore large segments of working-age adults who want to contribute, but need workplaces that understand the full spectrum of human experience.
What’s Coming: The Aging Workforce and the Talent Crunch
If we zoom out from the 25–54 age bracket, another looming reality becomes clear: America is aging, and with that comes a decline in overall labor force participation due to retirements.
While this has been in the forecast for years, many companies still haven’t meaningfully planned for how to:
- Retain older workers who want (or need) to keep working
- Capture institutional knowledge before retirements
- Make work sustainable for employees in their 50s and 60s, many of whom are balancing work with elder care or personal health issues
The tight labor market calls for more than just hiring. It requires designing roles and workplaces that are livable and inclusive across all stages of life.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
The numbers tell us something important: people want to work. But they want to work in ways that align with their lives, not in ways that flatten them.
For employers, the question isn’t “How do we get people to participate?” They already are. The real question is:
How do we make sure that participation is equitable, sustainable, and supported across the board?
That’s where inclusion strategy stops being a moral nice-to-have and becomes a core business imperative.
What You Can Do Today
Whether you lead a team of five or a workforce of 5,000, here are a few actions you can take to make your workplace more inclusive and future-ready:
Audit your flexibility policies
Many companies offer flexible work “in theory,” but the fine print—how it’s approved, how it’s used, and who feels safe using it—matters just as much. Look at whether your policies aren’t just clear but also consistently applied across teams and departments. Flexibility should be treated as a standard practice, not an exception granted under pressure.
Build a remote-first infrastructure
If a quarter of prime-age workers are regularly teleworking, the systems that support them should be robust. Think beyond Zoom. Consider how knowledge is shared, how collaboration happens across time zones, and whether remote workers have equal access to leadership visibility and growth opportunities.
Support caregiving across genders
Workplaces often acknowledge the challenges of working mothers, but caregiving isn’t just a women’s issue. Fathers, adult children caring for aging parents, and people supporting partners or family members with chronic illness all need support. Shifting the conversation from “maternity leave” to “caregiving culture” can be a powerful starting point.
Create intergenerational strategies
With more older workers planning phased retirements or encore careers, there’s an opportunity to think intentionally about knowledge transfer and mentorship. Encourage projects that pair early-career and late-career employees. These connections benefit both parties and help retain institutional wisdom as teams evolve.
Center disability and mental health access
Instead of waiting for employees to disclose a need, consider how to make your workplace practices universally more accessible. Normalize mental health check-ins in one-on-ones. Create materials that use plain language and multiple formats. Ensure that your definition of productivity doesn’t assume a narrow window of peak performance.
The Bottom Line
The Brookings data confirms what many of us already know from lived experience: people are ready to work when work is ready for them. Whether it’s parents returning after early caregiving years, men navigating health challenges, or older employees seeking meaningful roles, the future of workforce participation depends on how well we design for inclusion.
If you’re thinking about how to make your workplace more equitable, flexible, and sustainable, we’re here to help. At Inclusion Geeks, we partner with organizations to turn insights into action through workshops, policy reviews, leadership training, and inclusive strategy development. Connect with us today!