News
CNN Money | Only 63% of American adults are in labor force
As of June, only 63% of Americans over age 16 participate in the labor force, meaning they either have a job or are actively looking for one. That number is around its weakest level since the early 1980s.
WSJ | This Way Up: Mobility in America
The changing economy isn't encouraging. New technologies and globalization are driving deep-seated change—and no one knows for sure what it will mean for most Americans. But one thing is certain: The future will put a premium on technical skill. Educators and employers agree: High school is no longer enough.
Blogs
WSJ | Grand Central: Fed Economists Find Good News on Long-Term Unemployed
Since December, the number of people out of work for more than 26 weeks has dropped from 3.9 million to 3.1 million and the unemployment rate for these long-term unemployed has dropped 0.5 percentage point. That accounts for 88% of the overall decline in unemployment.
WSJ | White House Economists See Few Labor Force Dropouts Returning
The American labor force, as a share of the overall population, has been shrinking for more than a decade. A detailed new report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates the majority of that decline has been driven by the retirement of the Baby Boom generation and that only one-sixth of the decline is clearly attributable to the weak economy.
