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Labor force participation

Why labor force participation has stayed about the same for years, apart from the pandemic

by Henry Epp
Oct 7, 2024
Friday's jobs report showed the percentage of working age people in a job or looking for one was holding at 62.7% last month.
Prime-age labor force participation — those ages 25 to 54 — are helping to prop up a strong job market.
Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images
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How World War I shaped labor force participation for women

by David Brancaccio , Chris Farrell and Alex Schroeder
Jul 15, 2024
New research finds that more women entering clerical work during World War I changed gender norms for years to come.
Labor shortages during World War I created job opportunities in the federal government for women, especially in clerical work. Above, soldiers at the Battle of Verdun in France in 1916.
AFP via Getty Images
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Though the country is aging, there are fewer older Americans in the workforce

by Henry Epp
Oct 10, 2023
So-called “prime age” workers, those 25 to 54, are working jobs at a higher rate than before the pandemic. But the picture gets more complex for older workers.
As the pandemic recedes, older Americans have been rejoining the workforce at lower rates than other age groups.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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Women's role in labor force continued to grow in August. Is the trend sustainable?

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Sep 4, 2023
The growth was largely driven by working mothers. Flexible and remote jobs help, but the expiration of child care relief funds may hurt.
The growth in the female working population has largely been driven by mothers.
Christian Ender/Getty Images
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Labor force participation approaches pre-pandemic levels

by Mitchell Hartman
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
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Women's labor force participation rate reaches an all-time high

by Samantha Fields
Jun 2, 2023
Millions of women left the workforce early in the pandemic. The strong job market and flexible working conditions have brought many back.
When COVID hit, many women exited the workforce as the service sector collapsed and their children were schooled at home. Now, women's employment is bouncing back.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
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4 of 5 “prime age” people are in workforce, highest since 2001

by Stephanie Hughes
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
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February's rising unemployment rate is actually a positive sign, economists say

by Lily Jamali
Mar 10, 2023
Growth in the number of people looking for work means the unemployment rate is rising for the right reasons, one economist says.
"People think this is a good time to be searching for a job," said Gus Faucher of PNC Financial Services Group.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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More people looked for jobs in August, easing labor market pressures

by Meghan McCarty Carino
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
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Race and Economy

Black workers could suffer more in employment slowdown

by Matt Levin
Sep 2, 2022
"The Black workforce is the canary in the coal mine," said Howard University's Bill Spriggs. "They’re already suffering."
Black workers now account for 20% of the transportation and utilities workforce.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
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