Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

Labor force participation approaches pre-pandemic levels

Sep 1, 2023
The participation rate, which includes people actively looking for jobs, rose in August for those 55 and older, women, teenagers and others.
Labor force participation has been rising among women age 25 to 54 — many of whom stopped working when the pandemic complicated child care and schooling.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Why labor shortages aren't going anywhere

Aug 31, 2023
With the acceleration of baby boomer retirements, multiple sectors face long-term challenges finding enough workers to meet demand.
Pandemic disruptions and baby boomer retirements have created a mismatch between labor supply and demand. That has boosted worker pay, but employers might respond by investing more in automation.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The clean energy transition is underway. But where will the workers come from?

Aug 29, 2023
Finding and training workers to install solar panels and maintain electric vehicle charging stations is a massive undertaking.
Language written into the Inflation Reduction Act prioritizes trades with apprenticeships for subsidies. This means  worker scarcity is unlikely in higher-paid, higher-skilled fields.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Why "grandternity" leave might become the newest form of parental leave

Aug 1, 2023
Are you a working grandparent who wants time off to spend with the grandkids? That benefit could be coming to a company near you.
"For employees who are going to be grandparents, whether it's their first grandchild or their 10th grandchild, they get paid time off," said Tara Weiss of The Wall Street Journal.
Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

4 of 5 “prime age” people are in workforce, highest since 2001

May 29, 2023
The ratio covers people 25 to 54 years old. The strong participation means employers looking to hire may have a hard time finding workers.
With the labor market still hot, industries like hospitality and retail may struggle to attract workers unless they boost wages.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

In a "restructuring" economy, which industries gained and lost jobs in 2022

Feb 8, 2023
Here are the industries that saw the biggest job gains and the ones still falling behind.
“It’s a large-scale restructuring, but the labor market goes through large-scale restructurings all the time," said Michael Montgomery of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Has the drop in immigration contributed to inflation?

Jan 20, 2023
Immigrants have accounted for a major share of labor force growth for years, increasing production, which keeps inflation lower, experts say.
Immigration to the U.S. dropped dramatically during the pandemic. Above, new U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony in Massachusetts on Jan. 5.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

What's with all the hiring?

Nov 2, 2022
Employers keep looking for workers to meet consumer demand, though there are signs the labor market may cool down.
"Most of what I hear from employers is that they're struggling to find talent," said Amber Clayton with the Society for Human Resource Management.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

More people looked for jobs in August, easing labor market pressures

Sep 2, 2022
But the share of the population in the job market is still about a percentage point below the level of February 2020.
Labor force participation among women in the 25-to-54 age group has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, but that's not true of women overall.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Workers are picking up extra jobs just to pay for daily necessities

Aug 8, 2022
More people in the United States are working two full-time jobs than ever before, says Lauren Kaori Gurley of The Washington Post.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images