Summary: 

This chart shows that the number of retirements have out paced the number of doctorates awarded in the social and behavioral sciences. While the ratio of new PhDs to retirees for sociologists has leveled off since 2001 (the number of retirements slowed), all other fields witnessed modest upward sweeps. In a few years, all these fields are likely to converge with sociology, unless the numbers of new PhDs entering the labor force from all fields increases.

Labor Force Participation Rates for Doctorate Social and Behaviorial Scientists, 1993 - 2003

Unemployment Rates for Doctorate Social and Behaviorial Scientists, 1993 - 2003

Retirement Rates for Doctorate Social and Behavioral Scientists, 1993 - 2003

Involuntarily Out-of-Field Rates for Doctorate Social and Behavioral Scientists, 1993 - 2003