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US labor force participation continues to slide
- FrustratedMonky 7mo agoIs it? or were a few people, lets say, put across the border.
- justonceokay 7mo agoWouldn’t that tighten up the labor force, if true? Less pidgeons for the same number of boxes
- aftbit 7mo agoAre people without authorization to work counted in these stats, one way or another?
- FrustratedMonky 7mo agoFlagged? Really? In a post about labor shortages in Restaurants? We can't mention immigration? Who do you think worked in the kitchen?
- andrewclunn 7mo ago[flagged]
- hackable_sand 7mo ago[flagged]
- cucumber3732842 7mo agoI'm seeing a lot more teenagers in fast food than I did 1-5yr ago...
- andrewclunn 7mo agoQuestion, are these stats based on the most recent census data for population and then reported employment numbers? If so changes in population (considerable deportations for example) might effect an assumed denominator that no longer holds. That said if the labor numbers rely on above board work, then perhaps that would not impact the numerator as much either. The methodology is important here.
- toomuchtodo 7mo agoSubmitter here, I posted because I think there is a confluence of interesting macroeconomic factors at work here. Certainly, immigration policy is factoring into this, as the restaurant industry is highly dependent on such labor. At the same time, we're still seeing 55+ leave the labor force rapidly (~4M Boomers continue to retire per year, ~330k/month), leaving only younger prime working age cohort, which continues to shrink. At the same time, we're seeing youth unemployment around 6%, including those with a college degree [1]. As the piece mentions, young men are "staying on the sidelines" versus engage in low wage, low status restaurant work (in this context). So, who can hold out longer: businesses and industries historically underpaying workers but "desperate for them"? Or potential workers? Because as long as US immigration is constrained, as a business, you get to pick from who is on the soil at whatever that market clearing price for labor is. [1] Young men are struggling in a slowing job market, even if they have college degrees - https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/young-men-struggling-slowing-job-market-college-degree-rcna224482 https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/young-men-strugglin... - August 13th, 2025 ("Men ages 23 to 30 are discovering that a bachelor's degree doesn't offer the same protection from unemployment that it used to")
- alistairSH 7mo agoleaving only younger prime working age cohort, which continues to shrink I don't think that's literally true? There are more Millennials (~22% of US population) now than Boomers (~20%) or Gen X (~19%). Same for Gen Z (~21%). Or do you mean that for whatever reason, Millenials aren't participating in the work force?
- 7mo ago
- Herring 7mo ago[flagged]
- BeetleB 7mo agoDid you post to the wrong submission ...?
- Herring 7mo ago[flagged]
- hackable_sand 7mo agoLiberals want to have their cake and eat it too. Conservatives want your cake
- esbranson 7mo ago> In November 2023, the labor force participation rate reached 62.8% In November 2023, the prime age (25-54 years old) labor force participation rate was 83.4%.[1] > At the same time, the labor force participation rate edged down from 62.0% in February to 61.9% in March, the lowest level since November 2021. The prime age LFPR was 83.9% and 83.8% in February and March 2026, and 82% in November 2021.[1] The prime age labor participation rate is just about the highest it's ever been in recorded history. The gender gap is also the lowest it's ever been.[2] [1] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS11300060 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS11300060 [2] https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/spotlighting-womens-retirement-security https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/spotlighting...
- metalliqaz 7mo agoHow about early career workers, 18-25? Are we just pulling up the ladder behind us and leaving them to toil in the mud?
- esbranson 7mo agoThe biggest issue is tertiary (post-secondary) education and its effect on the LFPR in that age range, but not the prime age LFPR.
- josefritzishere 7mo agoIt's almost like tariffs incrase prices and utterly basic laws of supply and demand prevail, thus slowing the economy.
- drillsteps5 7mo agoUfff. >Those readings were the strongest since February 2020 (63.3%), signaling that more people were re-entering the workforce and helping to ease labor shortages in the wake of the pandemic. Labor shortages. In the wake of the pandemic. That ended 4 years ago. Ssuuure. >For workers 55 and older, demographic factors are key, with more individuals retiring, particularly since the pandemic. Got it. "Retiring": giving up on finding a job because nobody hires 50+ yo (either in the trades or white collar) >These findings reinforce a clear post pandemic trend: young men remain the most likely to be on the sidelines of the labor force. This underscores the need for policymakers and businesses alike to develop strategies to draw more of them back into the labor market—efforts that could help ease workforce shortages by expanding the overall supply of labor. "Nobody wants to work" >As labor force participation among young people declines, fewer teenagers are gaining access to those formative early work experiences, and the essential skills that come with them, which have lasting implications for both individual career trajectories and the broader economy. Have 2 teenage sons, at 14, 15, and 16 (last 2 summers) they were looking for a summer job (US, suburbs), retail, fast food... Anything, really. I made them apply to as many places around us as possible. Nothing. >It also aligns with widespread anecdotal reports that finding employment today is more difficult than it was a year or two ago. "anecdotal" Who wrote this stuff???