Markets

Labor-force participation stays at a 38-year low

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October's jobs report was full of good news, with nonfarm payrolls dramatically beating expectations and average hourly earnings growing at a faster rate than at any time since the Great Recession.

Meanwhile, the labor-force participation rate remains at its 38-year low, with just 62.4% of American civilians over 16 either working or looking for work:

october 2015 labor force participation rate
Business Insider/Andy Kiersz, data from Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Andy Kiersz
Andy Kiersz
Andy is a senior economic data editor at Business Insider. He helps lead the economy team, focusing on our coverage of economic and other data, economic trends, the labor market, affordability, and the Fed.He studied mathematics at the University of Chicago and Purdue University.